The Apprentice
by lulutree
Summary: Continuation of Martin the Warrior's story. Set after Mossflower and Legend of Luke. Gingivere, brother of Tsarmina, sends his headstrong daughter, Genevieve, to learn the warrior way from an aging Martin. At first the mousewarrior is reluctant to train the young wildcat, but a new and deadly enemy has come to the newly built Redwall and he must raise an army to defend it.
1. Prologue

Lupus the Rancid stuffed another mouthful of skylark flesh into his mouth, watching the bodies of three slain squirrels being prepared for skinning. He and his band of ten score or so rats wore the skins of their enemies. Lupus found that it was an effective way to instill fear, or respect as Lupus called it, into beasts who might want to challenge him and his rat army.

The wolf was a barbaric sight. His fur, what was left of it, was mottled grey and white. He was caught in a fire in his cub days and most of the skin on his stomach, chest and front limbs was horribly scarred. No fur could grow on those portions. His burned flesh gave off a foul odor. Over the burns was a crisscross of ugly scars. War wounds from his many seasons of fighting. He was missing his left ear. His eyes were the color of honey.

He had fought his way to the top. Despite his evil and ruthless inclinations, he was a beast of some honor. He respected fellow fighters. Whenever he crossed paths with other warriors, be they mice, squirrels or ferrets, he would challenge them to one on one combat. He had never lost, but a few of the nasty scars across his body were from his duels.

He smirked as the skinning began. The squirrels were young and had courage. They had stood up to the rat horde without fear. But, it was pointless in the end. Nothing was going to stop him on his trek south from his homelands in the northeast corner of the cold Borderlands.

He swiveled his yellow eyes toward the sounds of three approaching beasts. Lupus' highly sensitive nose told him that is was Ranulf, Olgar and Juka, his son, nephew and niece. They walked up to him and kneeled.

"What's your report?" he snapped. They were very late.

"Father, there is a great building four days fast march southeast of here," Ranulf told him.

Lupus nodded once.

"What of the land?"

"Lush and the weather is pleasant," Juka said. "We could make a good life there."

Lupus said nothing. They had spent several seasons wandering in a southwesterly path. Now it was spring time and they were on the flatlands, near the sea. He watched the distant shimmering of the ocean.

"You may have something there. Nothing to lose at any rate. Tell no one of your discovery until I tell you."


	2. Chapter 1

The cat looked out over his small piece of land. It was far removed from the life he knew as a kitten. Now, he was a farmer resting after a long day of work.

He smiled. Then he spotted the small figure moving in his direction.

He squinted his eyes. He sighed. It was his daughter, Genevieve. Her ears were plastered against her ginger head. Gingivere, son of Verduaga, brother of Tsarmina, for that is who the cat was, shook his head in disappointment and irritation. She had promised to behave.

He stood and went out to meet her. Gingivere had been sitting on the front step of the newly completed farmhouse in which he, his mate Sandingomm and their brood of six kittens lived. But, their young ones were hardly kittens anymore.

Gingivere met Genevieve near the entrance to the barn.

"Gen, what happened? Why are you not at the river helping your mother and siblings catch fish and forage?"

"Mum sent me home. Said I was misbehaving."

Gingivere was not surprised by this.

He looked upon the eldest of his four daughters. She was by far the most beautiful of the lot. Emerald eyes, sleek and shiny striped white and ginger fur. She was also the most wild.

"What happened, Gen?"

"It was an accident, I swear."

"It's always an accident with you, dear," Gingivere sighed. "Just tell me what happened."

Genevieve sighed and fiddled with a loose thread on her tunic.

"I started out helping Marty with the shrimp net."

Martin, or Marty as he was usually called, was the second youngest of the group and youngest son.

"The fool got it caught on a willow branch," Gen said, scuffing her footpaw on the dirt path. "I told him to get out of the way, so I could get it down, but he kept trying to get it down himself. He is such a runt he couldn't reach. I pulled it down, but he was standing too close and the net bumped into him and he fell into the water. Mum fished him out. She's blaming me for it. I didn't mean to! She sent me home, said I should learn to be more careful. Not be so impatient."

"I am in agreement with your mother on this one Gen. You have been getting into a lot of trouble lately. You are nearly full grown. You need to learn to be more responsible."

"How can I when I'm trapped here? I want to see the world. I want to experience life. I can't be happy here. I heard what you and mum were talking about the time I forgot Petunia in the woods. I'm like your father. I have a wild spirit."

Gingivere said nothing. He had known for quite some time that Genevieve couldn't lead the farmer's life that he had chosen. She was indeed like her grandfather Verduaga, although she was not accustomed to violence.

She had his warrior spirit. Something that Gingivere had feared when he first started his family with Sandingomm. He feared he would produce another Tsarmina. His elder sister was cruel and would from time to time be consumed by fits of insanity. He didn't want that for his young ones.

"What are you thinking about dad?" Gen asked.

"Do you know that you look exactly like your grandmother, my mother? Named after her too."

"I know that I was named after her."

"She was a stealthy warrior. Bow and arrow was her specialty. She died on our way south from the frozen north, where I was born. On our way to Mossflower."

"I didn't know you were from the northlands. You never talk about your past."

Gingivere turned away.

"I suppose it's high time you knew the whole story. It's not a happy tale. Death, slavery, imprisonment. All at the paws of my father."

"Mum said that he was a mighty warrior. That he died many seasons before I was born."

"She was correct about my father," Gingivere said. "Verduaga, King of the Thousand Eyes. Once a mighty warrior, no one could stand up to him for long. In the end though, he was as meek as the rest of us. He was already sick and dying when she murdered him."

"Who?" Gen asked.

Gingivere noticed a change come over his eldest daughter. She had never been so attentive to his words before.

"Tsarmina, my older sister."

"I didn't know that you had a sister. What happened to her?"

"She slowly lost her mind and was defeated in combat by a mouse known as Martin the Warrior."

"You've spoken of him before. Marty is named after him."

"Yes, now for the reason I brought up my family. I keep you here to keep you safe. I don't want your life to end as Tsarmina's and my father's did. Along with many others. Your mother and I have done everything in our power to teach you and your brothers and sisters to embrace peace and simple living. Your siblings have all embraced that life, but not you Gen."

Genevieve scowled.

"Are you saying that I am turning into a crazy despot?"

"No, far from it, Gen. What I am saying is you possess too much of a warrior spirit to remain on this farm for much longer. You, I now see, belong in the outside world. Your mother and I will discuss what your future may hold. Until then, I want you to remain in your room."

That evening, Genevieve sat on her bunk. She shared the room with her three sisters, Magda, Zelda and Petunia. Genevieve's two brothers, Gingivere, her elder sibling, and Marty shared the room across the hall.

Her siblings had heard about what was going on with her. Gen had stationed Zelda outside the kitchen door at the bottom of the stairs. The others sat in the room with her. After half an hour Zelda reported to Gen.

"Gen, Gen, they're talking about sending you to Martin the Warrior!"

Gen's heart skipped a beat.

"Really they want me to be trained by the warriormouse himself?"

"That's what it sounds like," Zelda said. "I couldn't hear what they were saying very clearly."

Genevieve jumped to her paws and looked out the window, which faced the west, over the fields. In the distance, across the River Moss, was a green haze, Mossflower Woods. She was giddy with excitement. Finally, she could strike out on her own.

"Are you sure that's what you heard, Zelda?" Magda asked.

"I heard them mention Martin and Redwall. It was muffled through the door. They were talking in low tones."

"That's because we know our young ones," came their mother's voice.

Zelda and the others whirled around to find their parents standing in the doorway. Gingivere chuckled at them.

"Zelda heard correctly, Genevieve. We are sending you to Redwall Abbey to be trained by Martin the Warrior," he said. "He will instill some discipline in you I am sure. Your brother Gingivere will go with you."

"What about the rest of us?" Zelda asked.

"In a season's time we will collect them. Martin, you and Petunia weren't born at the time of our last visit to the abbey," Gingivere said. "The rest of you were too young to remember. It will be good to see old friends again. Prepare yourselves Gen and Gin. You leave tomorrow."

Genevieve felt a mixture of happiness and sadness. She always had felt trapped on the farm that had been passed down through her mother's family for generations. Still, she would be sad to leave it. At least part of her would.

The original farmhouse had been recently demolished by her father, after completion of the current one two seasons earlier. It had been built after Sandingomm's ancestors settled in the area over 100 seasons earlier. The barn was built by Sandingomm's paternal grandfather in his young days.

She looked about the room. It was on the second floor of the cottage. Across the hall was her brothers' room. Downstairs was the kitchen and cozy eating area, sitting room with a massive fireplace and their parents' room.

Gen peeked inside her haversack. She had put in a warm traveling cloak, an extra tunic, a packet of medicinal herbs, flint, two flasks of water and a few small mementos. There was plenty of space for rations which her mother was preparing.

"I must find some kind of weapon," she said to herself.

Of course it would be nothing as impressive as Martin's sword. She had heard stories about it from her parents. She wished that she could remember him. The Redwallers hadn't been in the area in many seasons, since they had completed the abbey.

"It sure didn't take them long to build it," she thought.

Young Gingivere walked into the room.

"Did they ever say why they want me to go with you?" he asked.

"No, but I can guess. They don't me to hoof it alone. They want you to keep an eye on me."

"Hoof it?" he laughed. "Where did you pick that up? Oh, let me guess, you've been hanging out with those coyotes."

"Yah, they are our neighbors. They don't cause any problems."

The coyote tribe, which numbered about 70, lived several miles to the west of their farm. The coyotes, while similar in body structure, were on average larger and taller than foxes, but overall sleeker. Their coat ranged in coloring from mottled tan, white and grey to yellowish. They also lacked the bush-like tails of foxes. The topside of their tails had short, stiff fur, while the undersides had long, fluffy, usually white, fur.

They came from the far southwest lands. They had fled a great plague, just as the robed mice who had founded Redwall had, Gen's father had told her.

They spoke with a strange, slightly drawling accent and were given to speaking in slang terms and idioms.

The coyotes weren't a bad lot, but it had taken Gingivere and Sandingomm several seasons to gain their trust. The canines were skittish and suspicious by nature.

Now they were relatively friendly, but the coyotes preferred to keep to themselves. Except for one, a young female named Marisol.

Marisol was the daughter of the chieftain and Gen's close friend. Her only friend outside of her siblings.

"I'm going to miss Mari. That's for sure," Gen said.

"You know, something has been bothering me," Gingivere told her.

"What?"

"If the Redwallers and our parents are such good friends, why haven't we paid them a visit or them pay us a visit since you and I were babes?"

Gen thought this over for a few moments.

"You're right. Was there a falling out? Or were they just using mum and dad for the access to the quarry?"

"We don't know what happened. That's one of the reasons we are sending the two of you," their mother came bustling into the room. She had two good sized cloth tied bags. One in each paw. "We haven't been able to go visit them because of our responsibilities here. We don't know why they have not visited us these last several seasons. Last time they were here, they had yet to get material to build their bell tower."

Sandingomm handed her two nearly gown kittens the rations. They each got two apples, four oat and strawberry scones, a half loaf of corn bread, a recipe given to her by the coyotes, a wedge of acorn cheese, a shank of dried trout, and a couple carrots.

"It's a full day's journey. You won't go though all those rations, but it never hurts to plan for the unexpected. You both have at least two full canteens of water right?"

"Yes, mum," Gen and Gin said in unison.

"Mum, why are you sending Ginge with me?" Gen asked.

"If something happens, I don't want you to be alone. You are a strong cat Genevieve, but the outside world can be a dangerous place. I want someone trustworthy by your side. Not that you aren't trustworthy Gen."

"Do you think Martin would train me?" Gin asked.

"If you want to and he is willing. We are sending Gen because she is obviously no longer happy here. She needs to learn to control her impulses."

Genevieve walked up to the window.

"I'll miss this place," she said. "But, I'm glad to be leaving."

Sandingomm came up behind her daughter and hugged her.

"I'll miss you, Genevieve." She turned to her eldest son and hugged him. "I'll miss you too."

When their mother left, Gingivere joined Gen at the window.

The setting sun filled the sky with colors. Red, orange, and yellow at the horizon. A slight wind ruffled the oat fields like a mother ruffling her kitten's fur.

Gingivere sighed.

"I never thought I would leave this place. Don't know if I really want to."

"Oh, come on Gingivere! Adventure and excitement! That's what awaits us outside of this farm."

Gen sprung up onto Magda's bed. She thrust out one of her paws as if she was thrusting with a sword.

"We can learn from the best swordsbeast in the land. And afterward, we can go where we please."

She jumped across the room onto her own bed.

"We can sail down the River Moss to the ocean. Or maybe travel up north. Or south. The sky's the limit. We'll be free, can't you see?"


	3. Chapter 2

Morning found Genevieve and Gingivere trying to escape the weepy embrace of their mother. Petunia was crying as well. The others stood back. Martin had his tunic pulled up over his nose and was snickering at them from under it.

Finally, Sandingomm stepped back, sniffing. Their father approached them. He was carrying two stout yew staves. He handed one to each of them.

"Those should come in handy," he said. He hugged them both. "You two take care of yourselves. We'll see you in a season's time."

Genevieve and Gingivere hugged their siblings and jokingly hugged each other. Everyone chuckled at this.

They waved goodbye, walking backwards until they could no longer see their family. Genevieve was the first to turn around to face the green haze of Mossflower in the distance. Gingivere followed suit a few moments later. They walked in silence. Neither knowing what to talk about. This went on for the first mile.

"Have you thought of how we are going to cross the river?" Gingivere asked.

"I was thinking about it, but I don't know. I've never been to the part of the river we will be crossing."

Their parents had directed them to keep a southeast course. They would have to cross the River Moss. After trekking through the woods they would eventually hit a clearing. Redwall was in that clearing.

"I think that will be the only difficult part of our journey," she said.

"That and convincing the Redwallers that we are friends. They haven't had many good dealings with our kind. How will they know that we are telling the truth about who our parents are?"

Gen swung her pack around and felt around inside.

"I almost forgot. Dad gave me a medal he received from the badger at the abbey. Belle or something like that. Aha!"

She handed her brother a shiny object. It was beautifully crafted silver. It was in the shape of a cross, intricately carved with a wavy design along the edges.  
"Wow, it's beautiful. Amazing handiwork."

He handed it back to Gen who stowed it in her haversack once again.

They reached the river at midday. The section they arrived at was very wide and looked rather deep. They decided to look for a better crossing point. They had traveled several miles north before they found a fording spot.

"Careful Genevieve, mum says that pikes like to hang out in spots like this because creatures do use it to cross."

Gen swished her staff through the water, parting the reeds, looking for pike. They didn't see any.

They crossed as quickly and quietly as they could. The water lapped at their shoulders in the deepest section which lasted for several yards. They held their packs above their heads and emerged from the river unscathed.

They stopped for a late lunch on the opposite bank, laying their tunics out to dry in the sun.

Gen sipped at her water and munched on some of her cornbread and acorn cheese. She looked at the tree line several paces from where they sat on the rock strewn river bank.

"We should be at the abbey by tomorrow noon," Gen said. "I can't wait to meet Martin."

"Same here."

Gingivere stood, sniffing the air.

"What is it?" Gen asked, setting her food aside.

"Rain is coming."

"Oh, yah, you're right."

Gen pointed to a front of dark, billowing clouds which was coming their way fast.

CRACK.

Lightning struck the ground in the distance. The wind started to pick up.

"Gen, we should find cover."

"You're probably right."

They packed up their food and put their tunics back on. They searched for a place to shelter the coming storm. They found a large oak with a hollow beneath it. They dived into the cramped space and none too soon. At first the rain came down in large drops, but soon it was pelting down in sheets.

The pair had decided to sleep in shifts. Gen was taking the first watch. After four hours she woke her brother. The storm had not let up for a moment. Now, the river was swollen and debris was caught in it.

"Good thing we crossed before stopping for lunch," Gingivere commented.

Genevieve curled up to try to get some sleep. After a while she did end up dropping off. Gingivere sat at the entrance. He could barely see the river which was no more than twenty feet away.

Over the next hour, the river continued to swell, carrying with it increasing amounts of debris. The water had gone from clear to brown in color from the silt being stirred up and pushed down the river.

Every now and then, lightning would light up the sky and then there would be a rumble of thunder. The lightning strikes were very close now. Gingivere could only count to two between the flash and the rumble.

He thought of his family. They would be worried sick about them. He was considering returning to the farm after the storm passed just to assure them of his and Gen's safety. Then they would make their way to Redwall.

He was contemplating this when he heard the sound. He couldn't tell what it was at first. It was too far away and it didn't repeat itself immediately. Gingivere was about to dismiss it as his imagination when he heard it again, but this time it was much closer. It was the cry of a creature in distress. He poked his head out of the hole. He could see a light colored beast coming towards him in the middle of the rushing river.

He shook Genevieve.

"What is it?"

"There's a creature in the river. We have to see if we can help it. Come on!"

Gen shouldered her haversack and grabbed the two cat's staves. Gin had already rushed out into the storm. She followed. She saw the distressed creature. To their horror they recognized it. It was Marisol of the coyote tribe.

The two cats ran down the bank after her.

"Mari! Mari!" Gingivere shouted.

The young coyote saw them and tried to get to the bank. The current was too strong and she was clinging to an elm branch. She was too exhausted to swim on her own.

"Help me, help me please!" she screamed, choking on river water.

The cats raced to keep up with her.

"What do we do?" Gen asked her brother.

Gingivere's mind was racing. Up a head he saw their only chance. A huge log stuck out into the river. He snatched one of the staves from Gen and put on an extra burst of speed. Genevieve guessed what he was up to and did likewise. They arrived at the giant log with enough time to catch their friend as she went by.

Gingivere was the tallest, so he stood as far out on the log as he could. Gen held his foot paws while clinging to the log with her extended claws. He stretched out with the staff for Marisol. She was half drowned, but saw the cat ahead. She gathered the remains of her strength and reached for him.

She got her left paw around the staff, letting go of the branch. The branch continued down the river. Marisol managed to grab onto the staff with her right paw as well. Gingivere was in the process of pulling her to the safety of the log when Genevieve gave a scream. He turned to look up stream. A log was heading directly for them.

Gingivere knew he had to act fast. He managed to pull Marisol to the log before the other log hit. It struck with tremendous force, knocking their log loose. It took their log with it on its way down stream. The three young ones clung desperately to the slick wood. Marisol sobbed in despair.

All they could do was cling to the trunk and hope they would end up somewhere safe. The storm continued on. Mother Nature neither cares for nor cares not for the lives of a few young ones.

Sandingomm stood at the window. Clutched tightly in her paws was Gingivere's small blanket from his kitten days. The storm was still going in all its fury. Gingivere came up behind her. He placed his paw on her shoulder.

"They're smart cats. I'm sure that they found a safe place to sit it out. Come to bed. You've been standing here all night."

"It's just hard. Hard for a mother to let her young ones go off on their own. To just let them learn on their own and fight their own battles."

"You prepared them well, Sandingomm. Don't worry. We'll soon see their smiling faces again."

"You're right I'm sure. I'll be along. I just want to stay a few more minutes."


	4. Chapter 3

Genevieve awoke to someone prodding her with a long, pointy object. She let out a yowl and grabbed a hold of the end nearest her. There was a frightened squeak and the sound of small paws running away.

Gen slowly sat up. She looked about her. It wasn't raining anymore and the sun was shining brightly overhead. Gingivere and Marisol were lying on the bank of a still swollen river a short distance farther down.

She found that she still had the offending object in her paw. It was a thin elm stick. She looked around for its owner. There was no one in sight. Just a single set of tiny paw prints. She tossed the branch into the river and got to her footpaws.

Her brother was nearest, so she checked him first. He was just unconscious. Next she checked Marisol. She was awake. Gen kneeled next to her friend.

"Mari, are you alright?"

"I thought I was going to die in that river."

"Hey, so did I, but here we are, safe and sound."

She helped her friend into a sitting position.

"Come on up. I still have my haversack. Let's see if any food survived. I'm sure the water did at least. I wouldn't drink the river water. Too silty."

The mention of water caused Marisol to shudder.

"Please, I've have enough water to last me ten seasons."

They looked at each other for a moment. Then they broke out laughing. It was a healing laugh after the ordeal they had just lived through.

"Wha's so funny?" Gingivere asked, sitting up rubbing his head. "I have a bump the size of a mountain on my head."

"Let me take a look," Gen said.

While she was looking at the bump, Mari pulled off her torn and battered kirtle. Her smock wasn't in much better shape.

She sighed. It was her favorite kirtle, her dark green one. She thought it set off her dusty yellow and grey fur. She folded it up and set it aside. She would have to ask her grandmother to make her a new one.

Gen opened the pack and emptied it. The flasks were intact and so were the apples and carrots. Everything else was all mashed together.

After finishing administering a compress with a few of the herbs she had brought along on her brother's head, Gen examined the remains of her possessions. Her tunic and cloak could be washed, but her most of her mementos were ruined.

The dried flowers and leaves her father had given her. The drawing Marty had given her when he was just a season old. She felt like crying. Her brother put his arm around her shoulders.

"They were just things Gen. You still have the memories connected to those things. That's what really matters. I'm sure that dad and Marty would be honored just knowing you thought enough of their simple gifts and of them to bring them on your long journey."

Genevieve wiped at her misty eyes and sniffed.

"Thanks Ginge."

She gently placed the mementos in the river and watched as they were taken away. They were parts of her old life. She was starting her new life now. She would treasure her memories, but it was time to let go of items of the past.

She turned her attention to the mementos that had survived. A small rock that was pink and looked like a rose, a few shiny pebbles, the medal and a tiny silver dagger. She put all but the dagger back in the haversack. Using the dagger, she cut up one of the apples into thirds. Each got one slice.

"We need to ration our supplies. Who knows when we will find more," she said. "Plus, we aren't alone."

Genevieve pointed to the tracks that were heading in a northwesterly direction.

"Whoever it was poking me with a stick and then ran off when I woke up."

Mari sniffed the tracks. She shook her head.

"I can't tell what creature made these. Obviously it was a very small creature that made them, based on the size of the tracks."

Marisol followed the tracks for a few yards. They disappeared into the tufts of short grass on the dunes on the other side of the bank sand from the river. She returned and sat down next to her two friends.

Gen brought up an issue that had been bothering her.

"Mari, how did you end up in the river?"

"I was fishing in my logboat a few miles upstream from our village when the storm approached. As soon as I saw the clouds, I headed for home, but the storm came on fast. I was near my home when it hit. I saw the faces of the elders as I was swept by. There was nothing I or any of them could do."

"Don't worry, Mari. We'll find Redwall. Then you can head home. It's a straight shot to my family's farm and then onto your village," Genevieve said.

"Hey, Gen," Gingivere tapped her on the shoulder. "Look at that."

Up to that point, Gen had been too preoccupied to notice much of her surroundings. What she saw astounded her. It was the ocean, shimmering in the midday sun, no more than a mile away. The storm had taken them to the dunes by the ocean.

"Wow, I've never dreamed it would be so beautiful," she said.

With a laugh, Genevieve trotted off toward it. The other two young ones followed her, but Gingivere had some misgivings.

"I don't know about this you two. Shouldn't we figure out how to get food and how to get to the abbey?"

The two females ignored him and ran on. Once he got his paws into the lapping shallows, Gin forgot all his previous worries. The crusty beach sand was much different than the silty river banks he was used to.

The water tickled his footpads and the wet sand was cool and soothing. He picked up one of his footpaws, the breaking of the suction caused strange sucking sounds.

Gen and Mari had found a tide pool full of tiny fish, sea plants and creatures they had never seen before. Gingivere ran over to join them, marveling at the wide assortment of life and color in the small pool.

"That looks like a spider!" Gingivere exclaimed, pointing to a black, armored creature with eight legs and two pincer claws. Marisol knew what it was.

"It's a crab. Don't get your paw too close. Those pincers are strong."

"What are those things? They look like mum's pincushion," Gen said. She pointed to several black, spiky, round creatures grouped in one corner.

Marisol shook her head.

"I've never seen anything like them," she said. "They are like underwater hedgepigs."

Gin straightened up.

"I think we should…"

He squinted his eyes.

"What's wrong, Ginge," his sister asked.

He pointed up the beach.

"Don't you see it? There's a dark splotch up there."

"Maybe it's a rock or a piece of driftwood," Gen suggested after taking a look for herself. She saw it, but couldn't tell what it was.

Mari ran up a rocky outcrop just to their right. She sniffed the breeze. Gen and Gin joined her. The shape was more visible. It was too large to be a piece of driftwood.

"I smell rats. A heavy stench of rats," Marisol told them. "There are a few other smells mixed in. Dirty seawater. I think it's a wrecked ship."

"Maybe that's where that small creature came from," Gen said.

"Maybe, maybe not," Gin said.

"Do you think we should investigate?" Gen asked. "They might have food."

"If they are rats, they'll be searats," Mari said. "They would as soon as kill us as look at us."

"Mari's right," Gin said. "We'd best stay away from them. Let's go back to the river. Dad said that at some point a path that runs by the abbey crosses the river."

"Wait, there's movement by the ship," Gen said.

They all watched closely. Mari couldn't see much, her eyesight was no match for the cats,' but her sense of smell was much better than theirs. She sniffed.

"The scent of the other beasts is much clearer now. Mice."

"There are two creatures by the ship," Gen said. "I can't tell what they are."

"I'll take a look," Mari volunteered. "My coat blends right in to the sand."

Slowly, Mari made her way up the beach. The two cats could barely make her out. Several minutes past before Mari came back and reported her findings.

"The ship is wrecked. There are two very young mice there. A male and a female, both barely out of their infancy. They look harmless enough. No rats in sight. When I got closer I could smell additional things. Death and lots of it. I would say the two mice are the only survivors."

Genevieve jumped down from the outcrop.

"Come on. Let's see if they need help."

"Gen, wait," Marisol called. "They'll just be frightened of us. Two wildcats and a coyote. They'll think I'm a fox. Everybeast does. They'll scream and run off. Best just to let them be."

"But Mari, they are two infants on their own. They won't last long here. They might not have any food at all. We have to do something. We'll just have to be careful. How about I approach alone? Then they won't feel cornered."

Genevieve took off for the ship. She approached cautiously. There were indeed two young mice. They looked to be only four or five seasons old, babes. She looked at the ship closely. It was a recent wreck. Water was still dripping from the planking, the ship was high above the tide line. There were lines of portholes in the side of the ship. Oar holes. It was definitely a searat ship. Gen's mother had told her tales of the horrors of what searats did to good creatures.

The two mice, dressed in rags and emaciated, were moving in and out of the ship's hull through a large hole in the bow. They were piling food on the beach, eating portions of it as they did so. Genevieve made her move.

She walked the last several yards so that she would be immediately seen by the two mice. When they spotted her, they rushed into the ship. Gen poked her head in through the hole.

"Hello? It's alright, I won't hurt you. My name is Genevieve. I'm from the flatlands east of Mossflower Woods."

There was a scrabbling noise from the far end of the dark interior of the ship. Gen was hit directly on her nose by a small piece of wood.

"Go 'way, kitty. You no capsure us anna make us row," came a squeak from the darkness.

"I'm not here to capture you. I'm here to see if you need help. Are the two of you alone? Where are your parents?"

"Paren's dead when boat crash inna rocks."

"I'm sorry to hear that, dear. Please come out. I promise I won't hurt you. I'm a nice cat."

She heard noises coming toward her, so she stepped to the side. Two tiny baby mice came out of the ship, blinking in the light. She kneeled down in front of them.

"That's better. What're your names?"

"I Wally," the male said.

"I be Polly," the female said.

"Those are fine names. My full name is Genevieve, but you can call me Gen."

"Yer a big cat," Wally told her, jumping in the air trying to touch the top of her head.

Polly giggled and stroked Gen's upper arm.

"Yer soft Gen."

"Thank you Polly. Do you want to meet my friends?"

"The big cat an the fox?" Polly asked.

"Yes, how do you know who I came here with?"

Polly snickered and put her paws over her mouth.

"I poka you wid a stick."

"Hah, I knew I saw you, you little imp!"

Polly laughed uproariously as Gen tickled her. They all went to bring Gingivere and Marisol to the ship.

Gingivere took to the two mice immediately. Mari was more standoffish, but not unfriendly, chuckling quietly at their antics.

"Thisa our food," Wally exclaimed when they returned to the ship. "We getted it outa the galley."

"It's a good stock, Wally," Gen said. "Can we have a little bit of it? Most of our food was ruined in the storm."

"OK, yous our frens now," Polly said, sitting on the sand near the food. "We share wid you."

The three friends dug in. Oat biscuits, dried fish, apples and variety of food items were at their disposal, but in difference to their new friends, they only ate what they needed. As they ate, Gen asked the two mice questions.

"How did you end up on the ship?"

"Da rats raided our 'ome. Took us'n our mum'n dad," Wally told her. "We live on rat ship."

"Did they make you row?" Gen asked.

"No, we too small," Polly said. "Dey make us work in galley. But, no let us eat food."

Gingivere saw red. The thought of anybeast treating anyone in that way, much less babes, infuriated him.

"We on'y 'llowed to eat scraps," Wally continued.

"What happened to the ship, rats and the oarslaves?" Gen asked.

"A storm, many days ago, smashed on some rocks unner the sea," Polly told them. "We safe in galley, but udders were washed over da side an' drown."

"And the oarslaves?" Gen pressed.

Polly started to cry. Gingivere put his paw around her shoulders.

"Dey drown. When we washed onna shore, we look," Wally said. "Dey were drown in dere chains. We unlocked dem. We put dem inna sea to wash 'way."

Gen hugged the small mouse.

"I'm sorry about your parents, Wally. You were very kind to unlock their chains. You freed them."

"Wadda we do now?" he asked, scrubbing at his eyes.

"You come with us," Gen said. "There's no sense in you two staying here on this beach until your food runs out. We are headed to Redwall Abbey. I am sure that they would provide you young ones with a home."

Gen and Gingivere and their three acquired but welcome companions finally started their journey down the river to find the path to Redwall. They had put as much food into Gen's haversack as they could. Mari made two more packs from pieces of the sail and straps of leather and they filled them full of rations.

"On to Redall!" Wally shouted.

They returned to the river and turned inland, traveling until the sun began to set. For most of the day's trip, the two mice were skipping and scampering about in front of the three older creatures. From time to time, one or both of the young mice would run up to them and show them something they had found. A shell, a colorful pebble, a flower.

The two mice seemed to have an unending supply of energy.

"It must be from their lives combined on the ship," Mari remarked. "They are making up for lost time. I would go mad if I was confined like that. My kind wouldn't make good oarslaves I expect."

Wally and Polly skipped stones on the gently flowing river as the other three set up camp. Mari gathered wood for a fire. They had stopped at the edge of the dunes. In front of them stretched grassy flatlands, dotted with woody shrubs.

Mari returned with dry sticks and soon a small fire was crackling. The young mice came over and sat by it.

"Warm fire. We no know to make it, so we cold at night," Wally told Gingivere who was heating six oatcakes by the fire. He placed slices of chive and leek cheese on the cakes.

Soon the cheese had melted and they each took an oatcake. Gingivere broke the sixth one in half and handed the two mice each a piece.

"We need to fatten you up a little bit."

"Wha' you fatten us for?" Wally asked squinting at Gingivere. "You gorra eat us up?"

Gingivere gave him a horrified look, but then he realized he was joking. He pounced on the small mouse tickling him.

"Why you little scamp!"

The other three laughed.

After they finished eating, they bunked down for the night. Marisol dug them each out a small hole in the sand to curl up in. Genevieve draped her traveling cloak over the two dozing mice. It was decided that she would take the first watch.

It was almost completely dark now. Countless stars shone overheard. As she lay in her hole, Gen traced patterns in the sky. She saw what looked like a billowing mist or maybe a plume of smoke, but it sparkled just a tiny bit.

"My grandfather used to tell us stories," Mari said softly. "Each of the stars is part of what he called a constellation. The constellations form beasts, warriors, healers and scholars of old. He said that when they died, their images were put into the night sky in honor of their great deeds."

Mari raised her paw and pointed out a series of stars.

"Megar the Strong One, Tombolda the Weaselcleaver, Begge the Scrivener, they are all there. My grandfather was forever staring up at the skies. He told all us young ones of the adventures of the heroes who now live in the stars. All those warriors and wisebeasts, lived long ago, before we moved to Mossflower country.

"Now, those times are over. The times when my family was great warriors are gone. Even the strongest warrior is powerless against the plague. We fled. I will never know the life my forefathers did."

Marisol fell silent. Gen and Gin felt that she wanted to be left to her own thoughts. Gen felt sad for her friend. It was at that moment that she realized how little she knew about the coyotes.

She listened to the soft snores of her companions. She snuggled down into the sand, still warm from the day's heat. Several hours later she woke her brother to relieve her.

Across the river two pairs of sharp eyes peered at them, waiting for the hour before dawn. At that hour, their forces would be ready and they would strike.

The eyes had been watching the small group of young ones since they had returned to the river bank. One of the creatures sniggered.

"S'foodss."

Just before dawn, two score or so creatures silently circled the five young ones. Marisol heard and saw nothing. She was not to be blamed for this. The invading creatures blended in perfectly with the surroundings.

They silently dug themselves down into the sand, leaving their heads above the surface.

The creatures drooled in anticipation.


	5. Chapter 4

Lupus was in a foul mood. The cause sat at his footpaws. Ranulf.

The young wolf's ears drooped. He couldn't look his father in the eye as Lupus spoke to him.

"You disobeyed a direct order, Ranulf."

Ranulf wished he could disappear. He looked furtively to his right and to his left. His cousins were on his right. His father's top lieutenants were to his left. He knew that most of the rest of the horde was behind him.

His father stared at him from his perch on an old oak stump. For the past three days, since he and his horde and relocated to the area, he had used it as a sort of throne. He had even draped it with several mouse and squirrel pelts.

"I'm sorry father."

"Tell me what you are sorry for? Disobeying orders, being weak of heart or are you sorry for your current mutinous thoughts?"

"I am sorry that I am not the son you wanted. I couldn't kill those mice and moles. It would have been wrong and dishonorable. They were unarmed and weak. I saw no glory in slaughtering them for nothing."

"You need to learn to follow orders, young wolf. Your mother isn't here to coddle you anymore. This is the real world. It's harsh, it's lonely," Lupus grabbed Ranulf by the throat. "And guess what muh boy, you will do as I say. If I say jump, you will jump. If I say die, oh yes, you will die. This is my horde. All these beasts here know their place. It's time you learned yours. Cromm!"

"Here sah!" a pudgy rat captain stepped forward.

"My son, Ranulf is yours to command. Teach him respect. You can assign him any task you please. For the time being, he is not my son, just another common horde's beast."

Lupus shoved Ranulf towards the rat, who cackled. Cromm helped the young wolf up.

"Come up wid ya, young Ranulf. I got plen'y for you to do!"

The horde broke up into smaller groups and went about their daily business. Lupus cradled his chin in one of his paws. His son was a worry to him. How was he one day going to lead the horde if he could not fulfill a simple task?

Juka approached him, saluting respectfully.

"With all due respect sir, why do you tolerate Ranulf? He has routinely disobeyed you since we began this journey. Why would you think that he would ever change his behavior? How can you trust him?"

Lupus glared at his niece.

"What would you have me do? Put you in line for leadership of the horde?"

"No my lord, I know my place. I am just wary about the future. The horde will not follow a weakling. How am I and my brother going to follow a weakling? If you were to appoint him to leader, I would be forced to follow him. He would hold our lives in his paws. I don't want to die from a misdirected order. We would be forced to mutiny I am thinking. I don't want to kill one of my own kin. It is dishonorable to even think of, but when backed into a corner one must defend oneself. Don't you agree, Uncle?"

"You are quite wise for one of your seasons, Juka. I should keep my eye on you."

"Thank you, Uncle."

Hearing some clattering behind Juka, looked around her. It was Ranulf.

The young wolf was scrambling to pick up the chopped wood he had dropped. Cromm had stripped the black-furred wolf of his finery. His bronze breast plate with its chainmail backing, his forest green kilt, silver hilted short sword, round shield, they were all gone.

Instead, he was wearing on outfit more akin to what the common hordebeasts did, a thick leather vest over an old brown tunic and a spear.

Every time he picked up one of the hefty pieces of wood, another would slip from his paws. Horderats stopped to help him. They didn't want to feel the wrath of their master by not assisting his son.

Lupus sprung up and was upon the hapless rats. He struck out at them, dust rose as Lupus knocked rats to the ground. Those who were still standing ran and hid behind trees and in shrubs. Those on the ground trembled as Lupus growled.

"When I said Ranulf was to be treated as a regular hordesbeast, I meant it! If I see any of you lot of scum suckers treat him special you'll feel my blade! Now, get about your business!"

Rats scurried in all directions. Lupus lifted his son up by his scruff and stared directly into Ranulf's golden eyes.

"That goes for you too Ranulf. Believe me, I will have no mercy for you. Get back to work."

Lupus let his son go and stalked off, disappearing into the woods. Picking himself up, Ranulf gathered the wood from the ground and scurried off.

Lupus sat on his haunches next to a stream. His yellow eyes scoured the creek bed. Minnows darted back and forth. A small cloud of sand spurted up and drifted away. A crawdad emerged from under a rock in another cloud of sand. Lupus looked up as a large, black dragonfly zipped by.

He sighed. Ranulf was not the son he envisioned having. Lupus could sense that Ranulf wanted to obey him, wanted to make him proud, but he just did have the skill necessary to do so.

Lupus figured it was his fault. He let his mate Ertha, Ranulf's mother have too much power over him. But, what choice did he have? Lupus was busy leading his horde and ruling the borderlands. There was no time to be a nursemaid. He didn't know how to either.

Compassion was best left to his enemies. It made things easier for him.

He made his way back to the camp. He didn't enter it, instead he climbed into a tall maple at the edge of the camp. He often did this, secretly watching his horde go about their day's work.

The camp had been set up in a clearing in the woods. The trees surrounding the camp were elms and maples, with a few oaks and alders mixed in.

Some hordebeasts were off foraging and hunting. Those in or around the camp were chopping wood from a felled tree on one edge of the camp, others were mending armor, weapons and tents, others were taking stock of food and drink.

Lupus reflected on the last several seasons since he and his horde had arrived in the area local beasts called Mossflower.

He had started the journey just after slaying his younger brother, Canis, the father of Olgar and Juka. Canis had been his second in command, but Canis had become greedy. Canis wanted control of the horde. After a failed attempt on Lupus' life, Lupus had killed Canis with his bare paws, along with 20 of his supporting horderats. He had considered killing his niece and nephew, but Ranulf had pleaded for their lives.

Since the two wolves were just a season out of infancy, he had spared them. He still didn't know if he had done the right thing. Beasts had a nasty habit of hanging onto grudges in Lupus' experience.

Lupus spotted Ranulf. He was helping to chop wood. Cromm was standing nearby, leaning on his spear and sipping at a flagon of beer. On his face was an expression of amusement. He was enjoying being the task master of the leader's son.

Ranulf had a sour look on his face. He was accustomed to not being expected to perform the day to day tasks that the rest of the horde was expected to do. That included his two cousins. Ranulf typically spent his days practicing his sword techniques, which even Lupus had to admit he was excellent in.

Lupus' eyes shifted to the commotion coming from the south edge of the camp. His hordescouts were back.

They approached Lupus' stump throne. There were five of them. Two of them carried three pelts, two moles and a mouse.

The group of rats deposited the pelts next to the stump. The leader of the hordescouts was a tall, slender female rat named Denfoil. She pulled something from the pack she always had concealed beneath her blood red cloak. She placed the green-brown bundle next to the pelts and then sat down. The other rats followed suit.

Lupus dropped down out of the tree and onto the stump. All the rats except Denfoil jumped in surprise.

Denfoil stood, bowed and then returned to her previous sitting position. In her early middle seasons, Denfoil was a pretty, mottled brown and black rat with dark brown eyes. She had been with Lupus since he took over from his father in his young seasons and she was his most trusted general and advisor. She was soft spoken, but the horde knew her to be both a brilliant and ruthless tactician.

Lupus got right to the point of his interest.

"What's the green bundle you brought in?"

Denfoil picked up and shook out what proved to be a robe.

"The mouse was wearing it sire," she said. "There were four beasts in total, the mouse wearing this unusual garb, the two moles, plus a second mouse wearing an identical robe to this one. They appeared to be gathering medicinal herbs."

Denfoil produced another bundle from her pack. She opened it to reveal a collection of fresh herbs. She continued.

"The second mouse managed to jump in a fast flowing stream and escape. We followed the stream quite a ways, but found nothing. There was large waterfall downstream from where the mouse went in, along with some rapids. Not much of a chance of anyone surviving a fall from that height."

"What about the rest of your mission?" Lupus asked.

"We went back west to that path we crossed a few weeks back and followed it south. About a day's march south we found a large abbey made of sandstone. It is surrounded by a wall. There's a large main gate and three smaller gates, one in each of the north, south and west walls. The beasts we met in the woods were undoubtedly residents of this building. We ran into them on our way back here."

Lupus took the robe from her and examined it. There was blood on it from the fight with his creatures. There was nothing exceptional about it.

"Did you see what the defenses were at this abbey? How many beasts were there? What kind where they?"

"We couldn't see much else besides the walls. They were incredibly high. There was no way to know what lies within. We could only see the top few stories of the abbey itself. But, those who run abbeys tend to be peace loving."

Denfoil examined her leader's face.

"You knew that there was an abbey in this area didn't you?" she asked.

Lupus nodded once.

"Ranulf, Olgar and Juka happened upon it a while back. I made them keep silent about it. All I knew was that it was in the woods somewhere in the midlands, a grand building of red sandstone surrounded by a high wall."

"What do you plan on doing with this abbey? I assume something. No leader would hold onto information for so long if that leader doesn't see some use for it."

Lupus smirked and let out what could have been a chuckle.

"You know me well Denfoil. I see this abbey as the Promised Land. This area is a paradise. Warm sun, plentiful plant life and birds. If we can find a place where we can set up and be secure, we'd be able to rule over these lands indefinitely."

"Now I regret killing those creatures," Denfoil said. "They could have told us anything we wanted to know. I beg your forgiveness for my lack of judgment, sire."

Denfoil bowed her head. Lupus put his paw under her chin and raised her face even to his so that he was looking into her eyes.

"Just make sure to think before you act next time. You are the one beast in this horde I would never expect to make such a foolish mistake, Denfoil."

"You are right to chastise me, sire. I won't let it happen again."

"I know you won't. You and your scouts are dismissed. Rest up and get some food. I may send you back out tomorrow."

The five rats bowed and mingled with the other hordebeasts. Lupus saw great things for himself and his horde at this abbey. Surely it had fields and orchards within its walls. That would mean a stable source of food. The creatures within would also provide a good source of slaves.

He'd had his fill of the rough life. It was time for him to get a taste of the easy life.

Bella, formerly of Brockhall, and Abbess Hilda looked out over Mossflower Wood. The last rays of sunlight peaked over the treetops. Evening had brought with it a breeze. It ruffled the trees creating a soft, wishing sound as the leaves brushed against each other.

The Abbess sighed. Bella studied the mouse's thin face. She didn't need to ask what was on her mind, for it was on her own as well.

Brother Angus, Old Borgum, Soilburr and young Aster, all were missing. The four abbeybeasts had gone out to gather medicinal herbs for use in the infirmary. Brother Angus, the abbey's elderly infirmary keeper, had led the expedition. The two moles, Borgum and his son Soilburr, were both born and raised in Mossflower. They were helping Angus find new sources of herbs that they could gather and bring seeds back to the abbey to plant on the grounds.

They were hours overdue. Most everyone at the abbey knew that there was a horde of vermin present in the woods somewhere north of the abbey. Because of this, they had been forced to halt all trips to the red sandstone quarry to collect building materials for their abbey. The building was nearly complete. Just some work on the attics remained. They had not yet been able to start construction on the bell tower.

"I never should have sent them out into the woods," Abbess Hilda said. "I knew the danger, but I sent them anyway. They weren't supposed to go far from the abbey."

"It's not your fault, Abbess," Bella said. "We needed those herbs. I'm sure they are alright. They probably just found someplace to hole up for the night."

The old badger pulled her light cloak tighter around her aging shoulders. Not even she could believe that.

The two friends turned at the sound of someone climbing the wall stairs. It was Martin. The former warrior was grey from ears to tail, but was still as powerfully built as he had ever been. He was carrying a tray with food and drink on it. He set it on the battlement.

"I didn't see the two of you at dinner. I thought you might be hungry."

Abbess Hilda took one of the beakers from the tray. She sipped at the hot mint tea.

"Thank you Martin. Any sign of the messenger you sent to St. Ninian's?"

"Not yet, but there's no need to worry about him yet."

Martin had sent Chuggar the squirrel to retrieve the family of his old friend Gonff the Thief. Gonff had gone to the gates to the Dark Forest the previous spring. His wife, Columbine, their son Gonff, his wife Cora and their young daughter Bryony all lived in St. Ninian's Church. Aster was their elder daughter.

Bella picked up her beaker of tea and her bowl of stew. The stew was steaming hot and filled with potatoes, celery, carrots, onions, radishes and a few herbs and spices. Bella blew on it before eating a spoonful.

"Do you think we should send out a search party?" she asked.

"It's too dangerous at night," Martin told her. "We'll send a group out first thing in the morning. I'll lead it myself."

The Abbess set her beaker down on the battlement next to the tray. Looking out over the woods north of Redwall, her thoughts traveled back over her time in Mossflower. She was a young mouse when she arrived in Mossflower with the other Loamhedge brothers and sisters. She had been sworn in as a sister mere days before they were struck by the plague that drove them from Loamhedge.

They had arrived during a time of war. It had been especially hard on her. Her older sister, Sister Helmina, had been taken by the plague. Hilda had been forced to leave her behind to escape death. What she found in Mossflower was the opposite of what she had wanted, war. Now, the war was over. Peace had prevailed for many seasons.

This was her fifth season as abbess and she was Abbess Germaine's successor. She felt she had to continue Germaine's legacy of both kindness and strength.

"I want a sentry posted on each wall just in case they come back during the night," she said. "Also, if there is a horde of vermin in the area, no doubt they will happen upon us eventually. It's a mercy they haven't already."

"What are we to do if they do end up on our doorstep?" Bella asked. "There are few of fighting age here anymore. Lady Amber, Skipper, Foremole Dinny, Gonff and many others have gone to their much deserved rest. Lady Pear has the squirrel tribe somewhere down south. They were supposed to be back two seasons ago. We are cut off from the otter clans. We will be unable to defend against a horde."

Martin's brow creased. He had thought of the same thing.

"Martin, I hate to ask this of you, but if…" The Abbess began.

"It's alright," Martin said. "I know what you are going to say Abbess. It pains me, but if the vermin do come to Redwall, I will take up my sword again. What kind of abbeydweller would I be if I was unwilling to defend my home and friends?"

"I just hope it doesn't come to that," Bella said. "I've seen enough death and destruction in my lifetime."

The Abbess hoped for the same thing, but something inside her knew that sooner or later, the horde would find them or they would have to actively seek out the horde. They couldn't remain in the state of limbo they were currently in for long.

"Peace sure is fleeting," The Abbess thought.


	6. Chapter 5

Genevieve was awakened by the weight of a heavy rope net being thrown over her head. She saw three more nets envelope her brother and friends.

Wally and Polly screamed in fright as a net landed on them. Polly managed to wiggle free through the spaces between the ropes, but she was immediately grabbed by both arms by cool, dry claws.

Polly bit and kicked out at the creature holding her, but to no avail. Her paws were tied behind her back and she was stuffed into a coarse burlap sack.

Gen tried to cut her way through the net with her claws. The dark creatures surrounding them noticed this and pounced on her, beating her mercilessly on her head, paws and back with stout poles and whips.

"Youse no 'scapee, cat," one of them hissed. "Less git dem to camp, quikie!"

The creatures stuffed Wally into another sack and wrapped the other three up in the nets so that they couldn't move their arms.

"Youse run now!" one of the creatures shouted, shoving Gingivere forward.

They began their trek through the dunes and into scrublands. Genevieve, Gingivere and Marisol were forced to run. The nets had been adjusted so that they could move their legs freely, but their arms were secured tightly to their bodies. This position made running very difficult.

If they fell, which happened any time they tripped since they couldn't keep their balance without use of their arms, the creatures would kick and beat them with their whips.

Gen tried to figure out who the creatures were who had captured them, but it was too dark out and the creatures appeared to have trailing plants draped over their bodies. Also, their accent wasn't one that she recognized.

She was surprised that the creatures could see where they were going at all. Aside from four lanterns filled with buzzing fireflies, there were no other light sources. Cats were known for their exceptional night vision, but she could still just barely make out the shapes of the creatures that surrounded her.

They traveled for what seemed to be an eternity. Polly and Wally had stopped struggling and crying in the sacks some time earlier. Gen saw the first tinges of color on the east horizon. Moring was coming soon. It didn't cheer her in the least.

Finally, they arrived at their destination, a small, grassy clearing surrounded by rock outcrops. Gen, Gingivere and Marisol were released from the nets and forced into a cage. The two infant mice were tied to stakes on the other side of the clearing, next to a large flat-topped stone. They lay motionless on the grass, they had both passed out while in the sacks.

It was only now that the three friends were able to get a look at their captors. They were brownish-grey lizards whose bodies were covered with sharp spines. Their midriffs were flattened and circular. Their legs were long and thin.

The lizards removed the plants they had disguised themselves with and went about their daily business. Many more lizards arrived at the clearing and crowded around the cage. Others tried to get near the mice, but the two lizards left to guard them warned them off.

"Youse all kep 'way. Deeze two special for Arnaz," one of them said.

The lizards surrounding the cage poked at the three young beasts inside with sticks and muttered to one another.

"Eeze goods."

"Fatta dem up. Fine foods."

Others licked their scaly lips. They all had a row of small pointy teeth on their upper and lower jaws.

"They want to eat us?" Gingivere said, shocked. "How could they eat another creature?"

"It's not hard," Mari muttered.

"They mentioned somebeast called Arnaz," Gen said. "Their leader do you think?"

"Most likely," Mari responded, trying to dodge stick prods.

"They are going to eat us?" Gingivere repeated.

Gen ignored him.

"We are probably safe for a while. No doubt they will try fattening us up. They won't do anything to us until their leader shows up."

"Another one of these strange lizards do you think?" Mari asked. "My grandfather used to tell tales about cannibal lizards of the deserts. They were said to be covered in spines. But, they were said to live in the far south."

Maybe these are the same lizards," Gen said. "The plague forced your family out of the southlands, it could have done the same to them."

"What are we going to do to escape?" Gingivere asked.

"We'll just have to wait," Gen said. "There's nothing we can do with all these lizards around the cage. And we have to consider what we are going to do about Wally and Polly. Ouch!"

"Stoppa talk cat," hissed the lizard who had poked her in the face.

Marisol's short temper snapped after a young lizard who had singled her out had poked her too many times. Mari charged the cage bars, ripping the stick out of the lizard's claws. She struck him over his head, breaking the stick in two.

The lizard hissed in anger and pain. The other lizards surged the cage, trying to get at the coyote. The swung their canes, battering all three creatures relentlessly. Several lizards tried to open the cage and get Mari, but a loud noise like a spoon hitting a brass pot lid emanated from the rocks on the other side of the clearing caused them to freeze.

They skittered away from the cage and gathered in groups around the edges of the clearing. The sound came a few more times before the source of the noise appeared. A spiked lizard was carrying a brass plate on a cord and a brass mallet. Behind the lizard with the gong was a small precession of ten more lizards. They were the same species as the other lizards, but they had orange and black stripes painted on their backs.

The lizards lined up in a semicircle around the back of the flat boulder Wally and Polly were tied next to. They opened their mouths and let out a long dirge-like call.

Slowly, another much larger lizard walked into the clearing. It was massive, at least three times as long as Gingivere was tall. It was striped orange and black, from its wide triangular head and chunky front and back legs to its thick tail. Its scales reflected the sunlight dully and looked like small pebbles.

The giant lizard slid up onto the flat rock and briefly sniffed at the two young mice at its claws.

"'Ow maneee?" it hissed.

One of the group who had captured Gen and her friends stepped forward.

"Male, female cats, a foxa, male female mouses, Lor' Arnaz."

"Catses," Arnaz hissed. "Big, fat, lotsa meats. Fatta dem up for a some daysss. Dey maka good foodssss. Neva etted cat 'fore."

The lizard closed his eyes and appeared to fall asleep. Two pairs of lizards walked up to the cage. They placed two large pots against the bars. They were filled with some sort of chunky stew. Gen stuck her paw into one of the pots and tasted it.

"It's some kind of vegetable stew. It's not bad."

Gingivere, who had finally emerged from his shocked state, also tasted some.

"Yeah, it's definitely edible. Nothing like mum's though. Do they really expect us to eat this so that they can eat us?"

One of the lizards tapped on one of the pots with his cane and then pointed the three friends. He hissed menacingly at them. None of the prisoners moved a muscle. The lizard poked at them through the bars, they easily dodged him.

"You'll have to do better than that if you want us to eat for you," Mari told him.

He smiled evilly.

Turning his back to the cage he signaled to the two lizards guarding Polly and Wally. One of them threw a wooden bucket full of water over their heads. Wally sat up and squeaked in fright at the sight of the hideous lizards surrounding him and his sister, who was also awake. Polly started to cry. The two lizards produced spears which they then poised over the infant mice's trembling bodies.

Arnaz, who had apparently not been asleep and had been watching the proceedings spoke.

"Youse will etta food alla up. No do dis, we killa babbees 'ere 'n' now," he said.

The two lizards threatening Polly and Wally hissed meaningfully at Gen and her companions. Gen dipped her paw into one of the pots and began to eat. Gingivere and Marisol did likewise. They finished off the two pots. Another two were brought. One was filled with stew, the other with water. Polly and Wally were also forced to eat a pot of stew.

They finished the third batch of stew and the empty pot was taken away. They didn't return with another one. Gen didn't think it would be long before they brought them more. She didn't know how she was going to eat it when they did. She was completely stuffed.

The trio huddled in the middle of the cage and whispered to one another.

"How are we going to escape?" Gingivere asked. "Those lizards are everywhere!"

"Plus, they have the two mice as hostages," Mari continued.

"It's hopeless," Gingivere said, slouching down. "We're going to die here. Mum and dad won't know that we're dead until fall comes and then they won't even know what became of us."

"Stop that kind of thinking," Gen snapped at him. "It won't do us any good. We have to find a way. We'll have to wait until night though. How long do you think it will be until then?"

Gingivere looked at the sky.

"Umm, maybe about twelve hours," He said. "What are you thinking?"

Gen shook her head.

"I'm not some great planner. I've never been in this position before. What am I supposed to do? Don't you two have any thoughts?"

"My grandpa calls it playing possum," Mari spoke up.

Gingivere looked at her quizzically.

"Playing possum? What's that mean?" he asked, scratching his ear.

"It means we draw them in and make them make a mistake," Mari said. "Then we attack, so to speak. They will open the cage for us. We will then go grab the mice and then we're outta here."

* * *

Ranulf was roughly kicked awake. He had worked nearly until he dropped the day before. His paws were covered in splinters and scratches. He had finally fallen into bed at approximately midnight. The sun was just barely peaking over the east horizon.

The young wolf rolled over to face his molester. It was Cromm. The rat captain smiled crookedly at Ranulf.

"Upsidaisy, young 'un. Time for another fun filled day wid yer ole Uncle Cromm," Cromm cackled. "I got a good 'un fer you today. You'll love it."

Groaning, Ranulf got to his footpaws. He was in no hurry to start another day of forced labor.

"It's not so bad, I guess," he thought. "I don't have to deal with father, Juka or Olgar."

Things were always tedious with them. He always had to watch what he did or what he said around them. Regular hordebeasts had to as well, but it wasn't as bad as it was for those among the ruling class. At least that was how it felt for Ranulf. He could relax amongst the horde, where he was only expected to follow orders. He wasn't expected to make decisions or to lead.

Ranulf grabbed an apple and munched on it as Cromm lead him to where he would be performing that day's tasks.

Today he was to be fashioning the pelts of their most recent victims into cloaks, tunics and tent coverings. Among the recent victims were of course the mouse and the two moles, but there was also an otter, a vole and three squirrels.

He sat amongst the old female rats that were usually in charge of the pelts. The skins had been dried on the low hanging boughs of some trees. The eldest of the rats pulled the otter pelt down first.

"Dis one will make a good tent cover."

She tossed it to one of the other rats. Then she pulled down one of the squirrel and threw it at the rat sitting next to Ranulf.

"Gana will 'elp you make da scurl into tunics for the young 'uns."

Ranulf turned to look at the brown rat, Gana. Gana smiled at him, showing her toothless gums. She cackled.

"Liddle Ranulf, did you tink I was dead? I was yer nursemaid when you were naught but a pup. Was yer mama's assistant afore dat."

Ranulf searched his memory for her, but came up with nothing. She laughed again.

"Don't trouble yerself none, young 'un. Now, 'old on ter dat end o' de scurl. I will trace out de tunics. A scurl dis size makes tree tunics."

Gana cut the pelt into three pieces long ways along the length of the skin. She then directed Ranulf to remove the extra fur by scraping a sharp rock along the surface.

It took him the entire day to complete the three tunics. Ranulf's paws ached. Gana had moved on to making a mole skin into light body armor.

"Not bad Ranulf," Gana said. "You migh' make a gud seam'tress yet."

The female rats laughed heartily at this. Capt. Cromm strolled up to the group.

"Wha's so funny, grannies? Not making things too easy fer the young wolf are yeh?"

"Oh, not at all, Cap'in," Gana told him. "We was only making a small joke. You 'ere fer 'im?"

"Yes, 'is many talents are 'bout to expanded."

Ranulf followed Cromm over to the edge of camp. The sun was nearly set. Horderats all around him were eating and bedding down for the night. A few were preparing for sentry duty. He didn't see his father or cousins anywhere.

Cromm lead the wolf to where Denfoil sat with her four tracker rats.

"Gotta new recruit for yeh, sister," he said. Cromm was in fact Denfoil's elder brother. "Don' go easy on 'im. 'Is lordship's pers'nal orders."

Denfoil nodded once and Cromm left. She looked doubtful, but knew better than to voice an objection.

"I 'spose you, like all wolves, 'ave a good sense o' smell. That'll be good for the work we're about to do. Keep close and keep silent."

Ranulf nodded his understanding.

The group headed west until they hit a dirt path. Denfoil turned to Ranulf. She pointed at the path.

"Go, tell me what you smell."

Ranulf walked out onto the path and sniffed the air a few times. Then he breathed in deeply twice. He looked north up the path. Denfoil noticed the puzzled look on his face.

"What is it?" she asked.

Ranulf sniffed at the air again.

"Something…something foul. I've never smelled anything like it before. I don't know what it is."

"How strong is the scent?"

"Not far. Do you want to check it out?"

"Your father sent us out here to find out what types of beasts use this path. We need to know who our possible enemies are. Lead on, Ranulf."

Ranulf lead them up the path. After a few minutes of travel, it became apparent that the smell was actually coming from the lands wets of the path. He informed Denfoil of this. She nodded in the direction he had indicated.

"Then let's go," she said.

They made their way through the trees in a northwesterly direction. The trees thinned out as they traveled. Eventually the forest gave way to rocky scrublands. In the dimming light, Ranulf and the rats could see rocky outcrops scattered around the plains.

"The scent is definitely coming from this area," Ranulf whispered.

Denfoil nodded. She could smell it now. They were very close to the source.

"Lizards," she said. "Lots of them."

No wonder he didn't recognize the scent. Ranulf had never encountered a lizard before.

"There's another scent," Ranulf told her. He was just now detecting a few new scents. "There are other beasts among the lizards or very close to them. Mice…and two more beasts that I have never encountered. One could be a fox, but I am not sure. It's different somehow."

The six beasts crept up to where they believed the lizards to be. Ranulf's nose didn't lie, the camp sat amongst a cluster of rock outcrops.

In the dim light coming from firefly lanterns, they could see the forms of lizards all around the camp. In the center of the settlement was a cage with a cluster of shapes in the middle. To one side of the camp was another large shape. None of them could make out what it was exactly and Ran couldn't tell what it was by its smell.

Ranulf turned to Denfoil.

"What should we do now?"

"Let's try to get some more information on this lot and then report to your father. There are far too many for us to deal with."

They hunkered down to watch the camp.


	7. Chapter 6

The sun was finally below the west horizon. The only light came from the lizards' firefly lanterns scattered around the camp. Mari turned to her friends. She nodded and they nodded back. It was time to put their plan in motion.

Gen lay down in the center of the cage. Mari and Gingivere hunched down on either side of the door. Gen started groaning and writhing on the ground. The other two started yelling at the top of their lungs.

"Help, help, she's sick! I think she's contagious!"

"Help us, we don't wanna get sick too!"

Several lizards waddled up to the cage.

"Watsa matter? Shaddap tha' noise!"

"She's sick!" Gingivere cried. "She's gonna die and then we're gonna die!"

"Lemme see dis."

Like they had planned, the lizard and three others entered the cage to investigate. Mari and Gingivere made their move. They dashed out of the cage, bowling over the three lizards who were standing just outside the door. They paused briefly to arm themselves with two of the lizards' spears. Gingivere followed Mari across the clearing. He could hear his sister dealing with the lizards back in the cage.

By now the other lizards had heard the commotion and many were coming out of their burrows to see what was going on. Mari and Gingivere just kept running. They didn't have much time.

It had been decided that Mari would go straight for the mice since she was the fastest runner. Gingivere would provide her with cover; keep the lizards off her back. They would sweep along to the south and meet up with Genevieve once they had the mice.

Mari arrived at the mice's position in mere seconds. Gingivere deflected the attacks of two lizards. He was stunned by his seemly natural ability with weapons. Mari sliced through the ropes securing Polly and Wally to the stake. They latched onto her middle.

"P'ease, get us 'way from da monster," Wally sniffed.

There was a menacing hiss just a few paw lengths from Mari's head. She turned just in time to see Arnaz coming at her, mouth agape. Something whipped by Mari's nose, clipping off the tips of a few whiskers. There was a crack and Arnaz hissed in pain, pulling his head back and up.

It was Gingivere. He had hit the giant lizard across the snout with his spear, breaking it in half.

"Hurry, Mari!" he shouted.

Lizards were running towards the two from the back. Mari grabbed the two mice and slung them over either shoulder. There was an opening to the south, so she took it. Gingivere turned his attention to Arnaz once again. The lizard had recovered from the blow and looked as if he was preparing to strike, but he was moving sluggishly.

The young wildcat gathered all of his strength and thrust down with the broken shaft of the spear. The force of his thrust skewered the lizard's right front paw, pinning it to the ground. Arnaz let out a sound somewhere between a hiss and an agonized scream.

Gingivere took off after Mari. Suddenly, Gen was at his side. She shook a lizard loose from her claws. Her paws, forearms and tunic front were covered in blood. She took out another lizard that got too close. They were several body lengths behind Mari and the mice. She was nearly to the rock cliffs on the south edge of the clearing. She dodged to her left, avoiding a lizard. The lizard fell flat on his stomach.

Gingivere picked up his pace. The lizards were closing in on the coyote and her charges. Burdened as she was with the infant mice, she couldn't fight off the lizards' advances. Gen hurried after him. Gingivere pounced on two lizards that were about to grab Mari from behind. Without thinking, he extended his claws and latched onto them. One in each paw.

His needle-like claws sliced through their scaly skin like butter. He threw them brutally to either side, ripping open their wounds. Gen took out another lizard, her paw balled up in a tight fist.

The trio made it to the cliffs. The cats boosted the coyote up. Mari pushed the two mice up onto the top of the cliff and scrabbled up after them. She reached down and pulled Gen up. Gingivere was busy fending off the group of lizards who were closing in on him with a spear he had picked up. He swung it from side to side, not letting the lizards get too close. They hissed.

He felt a paw grab him by the scruff of his neck and begin lifting him off the ground.

"Come on Ginge! We have to go!" his sister yelled in his ear.

He turned to face the rocks and clawed his way up. Mari grabbed on to him and helped up the last few inches of the cliff. He looked down at the lizards below. A few were trying to follow them up the cliff face, while the others were splitting up into two groups. One went to the right, the other to the left. They were circling around to find an easier ascent. They would be at the small group's location in moments.

"Let's get out of here," Gen said to the others.

Gen grabbed up Wally from Mari and led the way south, away from the lizard camp and the rock cliffs. They ran as fast as their legs would take them. As they got farther and farther away from the camp, it got darker and darker. Soon, they could barely see the ground in front of them.

They ran into a cluster of large rocks and boulders. Without warning, Gen, who was leading the group with Wally on her back, ran slap-bang into a dark figure. The dark figure yipped in alarm and the three creatures toppled down a gentle incline. Five more dark figures jumped out from the surrounding rocks.

Marisol sniffed the air.

"Rats!"

The five rats surrounded Mari and Gingivere. Gingivere sprung forward and bowled over one of the rats. The rat just to his left ran at him with a spear. Pulling from some previously unknown store of knowledge, he dodged agilely to the side and slashed out horizontally with his claws. The rat cried out and fell to the side.

By this time, Gen had picked herself up. Mari kicked a rat to the side and joined Gen.

"Let's go, Ginge! Now!" Gen shouted to her brother.

Gingivere batted a second rat to the side and grabbed them by the paws. He pulled them along with him, past the small group of rats. The lizards had made it to the top of the cliff and clashed with the rats, killing another. The remaining rats scattered. The lizards continued their chase after their prisoners. The older trio ran as fast as they could while carrying the mice. They were managing to keep a good distance between themselves and the lizard army.

"I see a stream!" Gen shouted, pointing to the east.

The water of the stream twinkled in the starlight. It was at that point that they realized that they had a new addition to their small party, a dark furred young wolf. His tongue was lolling as he ran doggedly beside them. He didn't appear to realize they were there. Genevieve considered her options. She couldn't fight him, it would slow them down and get them caught by the lizards again. He hadn't done anything to them and wasn't hindering their escape. He could have been with the rats, but it seemed that they were just caught up by the lizards, just as she and her group was. She decided to just let him be.

They made it to the stream moments later. As it turned out, it was more than just a stream, it was more like a small river. A fast flowing river. Gen looked at her brother and Mari and they all nodded. They flung themselves into it, holding on tightly to each other's paws. Gen saw that the wolf had done the same, but he had picked up an elm branch. They did their best to stay afloat and to keep the two mice's heads above water. Gingivere looked back at the bank. The lizards were running along the western bank after them, but they were not particularly fast moving. The five youngones were quickly out pacing them.

How long the five creatures, plus the wolf, were in the stream, they didn't know. They went over a small waterfall and landed in a relatively calm pool. Coughing and spitting, the group climbed up on the eastern bank. The wolf continued on with his elm branch down the stream and disappeared from sight. Gen, Gingivere, Marisol and the two baby mice lay down on the muddy bank to rest after their ordeal. Before they knew it, they were asleep.

Gingivere snapped back to wakefulness. At first he couldn't remember the circumstances that brought him to be lying partially submerged in bank mud, but the memories of the previous night's ordeal came back to him all at once. As he rose up off the bank, the mud made a sucking, squelching sound. He brushed off some of the mud and then shook the others awake.

"Come on, sleeping here was foolish, those lizards could still catch up with us."

Genevieve and Marisol pulled the baby mice to their paws. The mice thought the squelching noises were hysterical. The cats and coyote looked about them at the surrounding area. They were in an old forest. The morning sun shone down onto the floor in beams through the thick foliage of the ancient elms, oaks and willows. Gen looked down stream.

"It's flowing north," she said. "I'm sure that is where that river, River Moss, is. I remember dad saying that the path that runs north to south past Redwall crosses River Moss somewhere north of the Abbey. I say we follow this stream north and then follow the river east to the path."

"It's as good a plan as any," Marisol said. "Let's go."

Before they left the pool below the waterfall, they covered their tracks and marks they had left in the mud. With Polly perched on Gen's shoulders and Wally on Gingivere's, the small group set off up stream, sticking to the knee height shallows to avoid leaving prints. The sun was just reaching the western horizon when the friends reached River Moss. They lay down under a rock outcrop along the river. Their stomachs were growling, but their need for sleep was more urgent. Moments after settling down they were blind to the world.

* * *

Ranulf shook his fur free of water. He had finally managed to drag himself out of the stream. He vowed to never go into the water again. He straightened up and took stock of his surroundings. He had made it to the end of the stream where it met up with a river. Ranulf assumed that the river was the one he had crossed the evening before.

Ranulf climbed into an oak and looked around. He knew the horde was not far off. He spotted the faint smoke columns from camp fires to the north and slightly east of his position. He jumped down and crossed the river. As he walked, he shuddered, but not from the cold of the river water. He was thinking of what his father would do once he returned to camp empty pawed and minus Denfoil and her trackers, which he assumed had been killed by the spiked lizards.


	8. Chapter 7

As the morning sun peaked over the horizon, Martin the Warrior was standing at the open front gate of the Abbey with a small group of Abbeydwellers. His sword was strapped to his still strong back. Abbess Hilda, Bella, Columbine, Cora and infant Bryony were among the larger group who were standing just inside the gate facing Martin, Gonff the Thief's son, Gonff, Brother Darrin and Karra, a young female red squirrel. They were going out to search for the four missing Abbeybeasts.

Brother Darrin was a young watervole who had grown up in the forests north of the Abbey. Karra was from the area north of Redwall as well. Martin himself had found her as a tiny orphan in the remains of her family's drey. They had been killed by marauding spiked lizards. Luckily for Karra, she had had a habit of wandering off without her parents' permission to explore the woods and had not been home at the time of the attack. Both would be useful when searching the vast forest of Mossflower.

"We will report in at sunset," Martin told the Abbess, "regardless of the result. We won't stop searching until we find them."

Cora clasped his and her husband's paws.

"You bring my Aster home," she said.

"'Ome," Bryony mimicked, clutching her mother's skirt with both paws.

Gonff kissed his wife and daughter.

"I will," he told them.

Martin put his paw on the younger mouse's shoulder.

"We should get going."

He nodded to Abbess Hilda who nodded back. She turned to the larger group standing behind her and spread her arms wide.

"Let's go back to the abbey. There is much work to be done today. Breakfast needs to be started."

The main group said their goodbyes to the quartet and followed the Abbess back inside the walls. Martin turned to his companions and then stepped out front of them, facing north.

"No time to waste."

All four were armed. Martin with his sword, Karra with a strong bow made of yew and a quiver of goose-feathered arrows, Gonff with a long dagger and sling and sling stones, and Brother Darrin with a staff and sling and stones.

The group started off up the path. The once beautiful Mossflower Woods had taken on a sinister tone. It was if there was something demonic lurking just inside the darkness of the tree cover. Karra looked at the wall of trees suspiciously. She hadn't been in the woods since Martin had found her the previous summer. She had been just a season and a half out of her dibbuncy when her parents were killed. She had seen the spiked lizards, her parents were already dead when she arrived. Her mum and dad were lying on their stomachs next to each other, the lizards were standing in a circle around them.

She remembered that her father had told her about them not long before his death. They had come up from the south, along with him and his family and the Brothers and Sisters of Loamhedge. The lizards were known as horny toads. Why they were called toads when they were lizards was more than he could explain. Their leader was a different species of lizard. Her father had never seen him, but he had heard about him. He was a creature known as a gila monster, a giant with orange and black knob-like scales.

But, it was what she learned about that monstrous lizard that dreadful day that terrified her the most. She had seen him, he was much slower than his followers. Bushes and small trees cracked as he trod over them. The horny toads parted to let him through. He sniffed at her parents and then said something in a low tone to his minions. One of the lizards responded. Whatever it was that he said, it made the monster very angry. With a speed that surprised Karra, the lizard whipped his head around and took the offender in his mouth and flipped over onto his back. He chewed on the horny toad briefly and then spit him out. The smaller lizard got to his feet. He didn't seem terribly hurt, just a few scratches from the monster's teeth.

Then he fell to all fours, vomiting. He began to shake and his body began to seize and contort into horrifying positions. After several moments the lizard lay still, dead. The gila monster bared his fangs in an evil smile. Yellow, slimy fluid slid down his teeth and dripped out of his mouth. It was then that the young squirrel realized that the giant lizard was venomous. Karra shuddered.

"Are you alright Karra?" Brother Darrin asked.

"Yes, I'm fine. Just…thinking about something."

They had passed the northwest corner of the Abbey and were surrounded by trees on either side. They had talked to Sister Celia, who worked in the Infirmary with Aster and Brother Angus. She told them they were planning on travelling up to the River Moss and work their way back. Martin knew that they had left the Abbey by way of the path so it had been decided they would start their search at the ford where the river and the path crossed some distance up the path. It would take them a few hours to walk there.

"Keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary," Martin said. "It could be a clue."

They walked on for some time in silence. Gonff was too worried about his daughter to be much of a conversationalist, Brother Darrin tended to be quiet to begin with, Martin was concentrating on signs of danger and Karra was preoccupied with her own thoughts. This didn't go unnoticed by the Warriormouse. Martin had become quite attached to the young squirrelmaid and felt a fatherly protectiveness towards her.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes, I was thinking about my parents and the last time I saw them. Do you think we will run into those lizards?"

Martin shook his head.

"Who knows? There is always that danger. Those lizards are what has forced us to halt construction on the Abbey, among other things."

"Do you think that the lizards who killed my parents killed our friends?"

"I don't know."

"There's something I never told anyone about that day, the day my parents died."

"What was that?"

"It was too horrible to talk about. It scared me to think of it…I saw the lizards' leader. It wasn't a horny toad like they were. It was a monster. My father described a giant lizard from his homeland. It was called a gila monster. What I saw was a gila monster. It was orange and black with knobby scales and a thick tail and triangular head. I saw it kill one of its minions that day. The gila monster was venomous, like an adder."

Martin scowled.

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything about it before. I wasn't sure that it wasn't just a nightmare for a long time."

"It's alright, Karra," Martin said, putting a strong paw on her shoulder. "Whenever you're ready to talk about it, I will be here to listen. But, how 'bout we don't jump to conclusions about what happened to our friends. They could just have been waylaid. Maybe they found an extra abundance of herbs and have their paws full gathering them."

"Right, so it will be good that we came looking for them. They might need help carrying their stuff," Karra said, trying to smile.

"Right," Martin nodded.

Martin and Gonff passed a look. They weren't terribly hopeful. The moles and mice were only supposed to be gone for a day. It had been nearly three now. Their chances of being unharmed were small. All four of them had good heads on their shoulders and wouldn't stay out later than they said they would. They wouldn't want to cause others to worry. Something had to have happened to them to keep them from returning.

They reached the ford across River Moss. They hadn't found any signs of their friends. None of them were surprised. The heavy storm from two evenings before would have washed any pawprints away. The ford was also a mess. Debris from further up the river was scattered along the banks and water plants had been flattened and uprooted. They split up into two groups. Martin and Karra went to the west, Gonff and Brother Darrin went to the east. They agreed to walk in either direction until noon and then return to the path. Karra would then return to the Abbey to report on any findings.

Martin and Karra had been walking about an hour when Karra's sharp eyes caught the glint of something in the flattened grass just up the bank from the river on the opposite side from them. She climbed up into a tall weeping willow and jumped into an elm on the other side. She parted the grass on the bank and picked something up from the dirt beneath it. She sprung back to Martin's side after making her way back to the willow. She pulled out a small object from her belt pouch.

It was a pair of wire-rimmed crystal glasses. One of the lenses was missing and the other was cracked all the way across. Martin took the delicate object from the squirrelmaid.

"Brother Angus has a pair just like these," he said, matter-of-factly. He scowled and looked downstream and then across the stream.

"Do you think they were caught up in the storm?"

"It's a strong possibility. Let's continue downriver."

They continued on in silence, keeping an eye out for any more signs of the missing abbeydwellers. Karra sprung up into the trees. She reasoned that she could get a better view of anymore clues or of her friends from there. After some time they heard the roar of a sizeable waterfall. It wasn't long before they found it. It was as tall as the outer walls of the Abbey. Karra made her way to the pool below by springing from tree to tree while Martin climbed down the steep hill just to the side of the falls. She was waiting for him at the bottom. They continued on.

Martin smelled it first, the pungent smell of death. He turned to Karra who was lollygagging behind him, playing in the trees as a young squirrel will do on a warm day.

"Karra, stay where you are," but it was too late. She had smelled it.

The color drained from her pretty face and her bottom lip quivered. Her thoughts flashed back to the day her parents died. It had smelled like that. Blood had a metallic smell to it, like a rusty hinge or nail.

"What's d-d-dead," she managed.

"I don't know. It's from farther downstream. You stay here, I'll check it out."

Martin hurried along the bank. Karra managed to swallow. Her throat was dry and her lips felt cracked and raw.

"No," she thought. "I can't let this get the better of me. Martin is strong. He doesn't let this bother him. I have always wanted to be like him."

She took a deep breath and dropped down to the bank. She walked resolutely down the river. The smell became stronger as she walked. Just ahead she spotted Martin. He was kneeled down on the bank. There was a shape just on the other side of him. Karra covered her nose with a paw and quickened her pace. Her knees collapsed beneath her once she realized what the form was. It was the skinless corpse of a large mole. Martin turned to look at her. Even he looked disturbed, but there was a fire of rage in his eyes.

"I told you to stay back there, Karra."

"I'm sorry. Is that Soilburr?"

Martin raised his paw. A leathercrafted belt was clutched in his fist. It was Soilburr's belt. He had spent a season carving images of abbey life into it. Karra felt tears flowing down her face.

"It can't be…who would do such a thing?"

Martin said nothing. He got up and found a long dead branch on the bank. He trimmed the twigs off it and cut it into two lengths. He handed one piece to Karra.

"We will bury him here."

"Cou-couldn't we take him back to the Abbey?"

"It would upset the brothers and sisters to see this. We'll do our best for him here."

They found a soft patch under a young oak and began to dig. It took them some time, but eventually they had made a nice deep resting place for their young friend. Using ropes Karra fashioned out of long grass, they moved the skinned mole and lowered him into the hole. They placed the leather belt on Soilburr's body and filled in the remaining space with soil, placing a stone cairn of river rocks on top. Karra picked a bouquet of irises that were growing on the bank and placed them on the cairn. She looked at Martin. His face was stone. She looked back at the mound of stones. The squirrelmaid composed a short poem in honor of her friend:

"Back to the soil, from whence you came,

"Now our lives will never be the same.

"Find peace in the sunny pastures,

"We will be together again when it is our turns."

She paused.

"Well, pastures and turns almost rhyme."

Martin placed a gentle paw on her shoulder and smiled.

"I'm sure Soilbur is honored by what you said…Let's keep going. The others may still be around here and alive."

Karra nodded and they started off downstream. She was dubious that they would find any of their friends still alive. The river didn't skin her friend. Only another beast could so something like that. She just hoped he had been dead before he had been skinned.

* * *

Marisol was the first to awaken. She was extremely thirsty, so she went to the river bank and drank deeply for several seconds. When she pulled her muzzle out of the shallows, she spotted some water cress growing just a pawlength to the right of her. She gathered it and returned to her friends. After she woke them, they gorged themselves on the tangy plant. The cats and mice paused to drink at the river before the entire group headed upstream.

Wally and Polly even found the energy to pick up a twig each and use them to combat imaginary lizards. Genevieve marveled at how fast they were able to recover and even face the creatures that had so scared them the night before with bravado.

They had been walking for an hour or so, had even found a pear tree with luscious ripe fruit along the way, when Polly had run some distance ahead of them. No one thought anything of it. She had been sternly instructed to stay on the bank and not to go into the water or stray inland. They could also hear her batting at the shrubbery with her stick, hurling insults at her lizard foes. Then suddenly she let out a frightened squeak and ran back to the main group. Marisol caught the scared mouse in her arms.

"What's the matter?"

Gingivere caught Wally up in his paws and kept him close as they gathered around Polly and Mari. Polly pointed back the way she had come.

"Th-th-there's a mon'ser in da water! It reacheded fo' me!"

"Mari, stay with the mice," Gen said. "Ginge, let's check it out."

Gen and her brother headed up stream slowly, keeping to the undergrowth. They followed Polly's pawprints. They found what had scared the mouse soon enough. It was only a short distance from where they had been. The wildcats hurried out of the bushes.

"Mari, come quick! It's alright!" Gingivere shouted as he and his sister dragged the poor creature out of the shallows.

It was a pretty mousemaid. She was clad in a torn and bloody green robe. Her footpaws were bare and rubbed raw from the river rocks lining the river bed. She was barely alive and fading fast. Genevieve did a quick examination of the mouse's body. She had suffered a horrible wound to her narrow chest. The wildcat clasped her wet paw. The mouse looked up at her weakly.

Marisol gasped as she arrived at her friends' sides. The young mice hid behind her. Not sure what to make of the mouse lying on the bank. The mousemaid coughed.

"I'm Aster…from Redwall…"

"What happened to you, Aster?" Gen asked.

"Rats…we were attacked…I jumped in river…others…you have to save them… _cough_ …"

"I'll try," Gen promised.

"Two moles…one Brother…five rats…stabbed me…my father…will be worried…tell…"

"I'll tell him we found you," tears welled up in Gen's eyes, "We'll take you back to the Abbey."

Aster coughed one last time and then laid still, her eyes clouded over. Gen and her friends said nothing for some time. Silent tears ran down Gingivere's striped face. Finally, Gen stood up and began gather the tall bank grass.

"We can use this to make a sling. Come on, we need to get to the Abbey quickly."

They spent the next hour weaving the grass into a sling. Once it was finished, they carefully loaded Aster into it. Genevieve and Gingivere took on the task of carrying it. Marisol managed the baby mice who now were no longer interested in their games. Even they were affected by the somber mood of the little procession. None of the friends said a word.

* * *

Karra had taken to the trees again, but she was more serious. The somber mood after finding her friend had not diminished. Martin's face was more or less expressionless. Karra had a harder time hiding her emotions. She was feeling a mixture of sadness and anger. How could anyone do that to another living creature? She couldn't imagine what type of beast that was.

They hadn't walked far when the squirrel's keen ears picked up movement from up ahead. There was a small group of creatures coming towards them along the bank. Karra saw that Martin had noticed it too. The warriormouse jumped into the cover of a laural bush and laid in wait. Karra concealed herself in the darkness of the branches of a large oak tree. They waited, but not for long. They soon saw the group of animals who had been coming towards them.

Karra felt a thrill of fear. The group was made up of two young wildcats and a creature that looked like a large fox. She of course had never seen a wildcat before and had only heard stories of them. Not surprisingly, these stories were not favorable of the cats, deservedly or not. She looked down at where Martin had hidden himself. He was no longer visible. She didn't know if he was still there or had moved. She looked back to the procession and her blood turned cold before it started to boil. Aster was lying on a stretcher being carried by the two wildcats. She got out her bow and selected an arrow. She pointed it at the female cat who was leading the group.

"This is for Soilburr," she thought.

Before she could loose the arrow, she spied Martin waving at her. He motioned for her to wait. He had moved to a point further up the bank. He ducked under a holly bush and jumped out in front of the group. The male cat jumped slightly in surprise, the baby mice who were with the fox squeaked in fright, the fox remained motionless and the female cat's tail puffed up.

When Martin had seen the pair of cats, his mind went back to the war. The female was the spitting image of Tsarmina. The male looked like Gingivere. It was as if he had gone back to that time.

"Who are you and have you done to that young mouse?" he asked in an authoritative voice.

The female's hackles rose.

"Are you accusing us of killing her? We did not. We were taking her back to her home. She didn't want her family to worry about her."

Martin calmed down somewhat.

"What are your names? Where are you from?"

It was then that Gen saw the mouse's sword and realized who he was.

"You-you're Martin the Warrior! We were coming to the Abbey to be taught by you, but got caught in the storm and washed down river. Our parents thought that we could learn to be more responsible if you were to instruct us in warriorcraft and discipline."

"Yes, I'm Martin. You still haven't explained who you are…unless…are you part of Gingivere's and Sandingomm's brood?"

"Yes, we are," Gen said. "My name is Genevieve and this is my brother Gingivere."

It all made sense.

"I remember you," Martin said, smiling a little. "It's been a long time since I've seen you two."

Genevieve motioned to Mari and the mice.

"This is Marisol, she is one of the coyote tribe that live up the river from us. During the night of the storm, she was caught in the river. We saw her and we all got caught in it as we tried to help her. The mice are Wally and Polly, survivors of a pirate ship that ran aground that same night."

They placed the sling with Aster on the ground as Martin joined them. He looked sadly down at the fallen mouse. From up in her tree Karra was crying. Aster was a good friend of hers. She jumped down and joined the group at Martin's beckoning. He introduced her.

"What happened to her?" Martin asked.

"We found her dying in the shallows just down river," Gingivere said. "She said that a group of five rats attacked her. They stabbed her and she jumped in the river to escape. There was nothing we could do for her. She didn't want her family to worry about her and said she was from Redwall. We were taking her home."

"At least she didn't die alone," Karra sniffed. "She was with three others, an older mouse and two moles. We found one of the moles, he was dead. We buried him. Did you see the other two?"

"No, we didn't see anyone else," Gingivere said.

"Let's head back to the Abbey," Martin said. "Gonff and Brother should be back by the ford by now. It's about noon."

The group returned to the ford. They arrived before the other two Abbeybeasts by some time. They sat on the bank, Karra and the baby mice dipping their paws in the cool water. The others had weaved another grass mat to place over Aster. They had just finished when Gonff and Brother Darrin arrived. They looked exhausted and were covered in dust. Their footpaws were caked with mud. They had quizzical looks on their faces. Martin did a quick introduction of his new friends before getting to more serious matters.

He led Gonff over to the mat covered form and lifted up the cover. Gonff's legs gave out from under him once he saw his daughter.

"No…" he rasped.

Tears were running freely down his face. He clasped his daughter's paw, managing to speak.

"What happened?"

Genevieve told the mouse how they had found her and what Aster had said before she died. Martin added in the information he had gathered from the body of Soilburr. Martin and Darrin briefly discussed whether or not to retrieve the young mole to bring back to the Abbey. It was decided to leave him for the time being. The beasts who killed their friends could still be in the area along with the lizards who had captured Genevieve and her brother and friends.

Gonff stood and grabbed the front end of the stretcher his daughter was lying on. His face was pale and had a hollow look to them

"Let's get going. Best to get these young 'uns to safety."

Martin picked up the other end of the stretcher leaving Brother Darrin and Karra to lead the way back to the Abbey.

* * *

Denfoil was the only one of her trackers to make it back to camp. She was also without Ranulf. He was being punished by his father by being made to work as a lowly horde's beast, but that didn't excuse her from making sure he returned safely. She dreaded the meeting she was about have with Lupus, but there was no way around it. She found him on his stump, eating a roasted bird. It looked to be a dove.

Lupus put the bird down and looked the female rat over. She had a scattering of minor cuts and scratches along her body and a black eye.

"What happened? Where is Ranulf?"

"We did some scouting, as you ordered. We came upon a horde of strange lizards. I have never seen their kind before. They were brown with spines all over their body. They appeared to be lead by a massive orange and black striped lizard. Anyway, we had just arrived when two wildcats, a strange fox and two baby mice ran right into us. They had been prisoners of the lizards. One of the cats slew Merno, but they were more concerned with escaping than fighting with us. I ordered a retreat, but the lizards were already on us. My three rats were killed. I don't know the fate of your son, my lord. He took off in the same direction as the cats and fox."

"Did you try finding him later?"

"Yes, lord. I tracked him and the other beasts to a stream to the east of where we were separated. I lost the trail there. I think he jumped into the water to escape the reptiles. I found the lizards' tracks for some distance downstream. They appear to have tried to catch up with their prey. I followed the stream to the river just south of us, but couldn't find any trail that was definitively Ranulf's. At the river, I did find some tracks. They probably belonged to the cats, fox and mice. I decided to report in and grab some supplies and more trackers once I reached the river."

Lupus nodded.

"Very well. Get supplies and a party together. Don't come back until you have some information or I send for you. This could be a test for Ranulf. A test of his resourcefulness. If he is found dead, then I suppose he failed the test. He couldn't keep himself alive. If he returns here on his own, it will mean that he has grown up some, become more resourceful. If you find him, it will mean that he will still need more discipline."

Denfoil bowed.

"You are very wise, Lord Lupus. I will get ready to leave at once."

Denfoil hurried off. Lupus picked up the dove and looked at it. He almost hoped that Ranulf would be dead so that he could set his sights on preparing his nephew for leadership of the horde. Ranulf was a disappointment.

"How could I produce a son like that?" he thought.

The scarred wolf watched as Denfoil had some of the cooks put together travelling packs with rations and went amongst his horde to select new trackers. She never took out all of them at once in case something bad happened, like what had happened the night before. She ended up with five young rats, four male, one female. One of the males, Joro, was her son. Denfoil spoke briefly to her selected crew and headed to the southeastern edge of the camp. She saluted to Lupus as she walked by him.

* * *

Denfoil lead her group to the river and then west along its bank, back towards where the stream met up with it. They would start from there. They reached the stream at about mid morning. Unbeknownst to them, they just missed running into Genevieve and her group as they walked down the other side of the river. The six rats got to work. They moved their way slowly down the bank. Joro beckoned his mother over to examine some marks he had found.

Denfoil hurried over. Joro had found a battered old tree limb. There were deep claw marks in the bark. Denfoil looked underneath the branch. There was grass rooted under it. The branch was a new addition.

"Somebeast was definitely holding onto this branch," she said. "Probably used as a float in the river, but it could have been anybeast."

As she said this, she pulled a small hunk of black fur from a crack in the bark where it had been caught. She sniffed it. The water had washed any scent from it.

"Hey, boss!" a rat called from just north of them.

Denfoil, Joro and the rest of the group joined him. He pointed to the ground. There were clearly visible paw prints in the dirt. They were canine. Too large to be a fox's, so it had to be a wolf.

"Let's follow them," Denfoil said.

There were no more pawprints in the loam and leaf cover of the surrounding forest, but the creature who made the prints could still be easily tracked from the bent twigs and grass and bruised foliage that he had foolishly left behind. Whoever the beast was, he was heading north. Denfoil noted that the camp was in that direction.

* * *

A bedraggled Ranulf burst out of the forest and into the clearing where the horde had set up camp. There was an immediate uproar from the horde's rats at his appearance. He was directed to see his father who was sitting on his stump, flagged on either side by Olgar and Juka. Lupus' expression was unreadable.

"I'm glad you have returned to us. I sent Denfoil after you. She is the only one of the rats in your group to have survived."

Ranulf nodded.

"I expect as much. We were taken by surprise. I also expect Denfoil already told you what happened."

"She did. I would like your version of events though and I would like to know how you made it back here."

"I jumped into a stream with a log and floated my way back to the river. From there I walked back. I left a trail incase Denfoil was looking for me. I know you are disappointed that we lost five good trackers and that I did nothing to stop it. I didn't kill a single beast while they slaughtered us. If I had tried, I would not be standing here. It was a no-win situation."

"So it was. Use it as a lesson. Go get yourself cleaned up and fed. As soon as Denfoil returns, you will be going back out with her."

Ranulf dipped his head and walked off towards the cooking fires. Juka stepped forward once Ranulf was out of earshot.

"You let him off easy, what's going on, uncle?"

"I am having him be the one that spies on Redwall. It will be there he decides whether he is with me or against me. I'm sure that the creatures there are peaceful, but will defend their home if pressed. He will have to decide whether he will kill those creatures or not. They are not warriors, not in a place like that. He will decide where his loyalty lies."


	9. Chapter 8

It was a sullen group that arrived at the Abbey gates at midafternoon. Cora and Columbine were inconsolable once they learned the fate of Aster. The young Abbeymouse was placed in a room in the cellar until a place in the cemetery could be made for her.

The Abbeybeasts were friendly to Genevieve and her group and tried to make them feel welcome, but the death of Aster had impacted them all. The cats, coyote and mice were shown to an empty room in the dormitories where they could rest and clean themselves up.

The three older ones washed their faces, paws and foot paws and the cats combed out their silky fur. Marisol was content just to shake out her coat and brush her tail. The three young ones bathed Polly and Wally, much to the mice's chagrin. Once everyone was bathed, the group headed downstairs and ended up in Cavern Hole, a spacious and comfortable room just down a short stairway from Great Hall. Great Hall was far larger than Cavern Hole. The kitchen, storerooms and cellar were accessed by a hall off of Cavern Hole. Delicious aromas were wafting through that hallway from the kitchen, which was a cacophony of voices and clanking pots and pans. The two mice immediately took off in that direction. Gen, Gingivere and Mari stayed in Cavern Hole.

They slowly walked around the room. There was a large table with benches and chairs in the center of the room and a large fireplace against one wall. All around them were ledges cut into the sandstone wall. The ledges were padded with cushions and thick rugs. The walls above the highest ledges were adorned with carved woodlanders and images of plants and birds. As the trio was walking around admiring the carvings, Abbess Hilda entered the room. She said nothing, just let them marvel at the sight.

"I've never seen a room this big," Gingivere said. "Mum's and Dad's accounts of Redwall are definite understatements."

"Yes, this place still leaves me with a sense of awe," the Abbess spoke up.

The mouse joined the young Woodlanders.

"I wanted to thank you for what you did, helping Aster, giving her comfort and bringing her home to us. What horror happened in those woods! I'm glad that you young ones are safe and did not encounter the beasts that did that horrible thing to Aster and Soilburr, and I assume Brother Angus and Old Borgum…Ah, Friar Tollum just put the tray on the table, thank you."

The plump shrew placed an earthenware tray brimming with food and drink on the large table in the middle of the room. He chuckled.

"I seem to have two new kitchen helpers," he said.

"Oh, Polly and Wally," Genevieve said. "They aren't getting in the way are they?"

"Oh, no not at all. I've put them to work helping make the apple crumble for dinner tonight."

Tollum paused and turned to Abbess Hilda.

"So, it is true? Soilburr was found skinned?"

Hilda nodded once.

"Yes, it is. It has been decided that Soilburr will remain where Martin and Karra buried him. It would be too upsetting for the other Redwallers to see him as a skinned corpse."

"First strange lizards in the woods and now skinning rats? What will be next? We fought a great war to be free of villainy and death, but it just comes back. What is the point?"

Abbess Hilda clasped his paw.

"The point is to stand up to and stop these creatures who do bad things. I don't know why these evil creatures keep appearing. It would do them better to be good and live honest lives, but they choose to be nasty and prey on others. But, no matter how many times these creatures raise their wretched heads, it is our duty to stop them and provide a safe harbor for otherbeasts against them. That is why this Abbey was built."

Tollum nodded solemnly and returned to the kitchen. The three young ones sat at the table and dug in. There were onion, celery and mushroom pasties, wheat rolls with pear preserves, watercress salad, apple cider and dandelion cordial. Hilda sat with them, but let the hungry trio enjoy the meal on their own. She asked them to tell her their story.

Genevieve did most of the talking. Hilda rarely interrupted. She wasn't surprised to hear that Gen and Gingivere were the young of Gingivere and Sandingomm. She had already guessed this. She expressed her admiration for the trio's courage and resourcefulness in escaping the lizards and braving the rapids to save Marisol. Genevieve ended her narrative with telling the Abbess of their reason for being away from home, to ask Martin the Warrior to train them in the way of the warrior.

"Martin has never taken a student. Gonff did, his own son, but never Martin. Karra, that young squirrelmaid that was with Martin, is the closest beast he ever had to an apprentice. Over the seasons since the war with your aunt's horde, he has tried to distance himself from fighting. He will always take up his sword in defense of the Abbey if the need arose, but it is always reluctantly."

Gen felt defeated. All she had been through looked to be for nothing. She didn't know what she was going to do next. She had come all this way to be trained and now it looked like that wasn't going to happen.

"Should I just go home?" she thought.

Genevieve stood up so suddenly the other beasts in the room jumped.

"No," she said. "I've not come this far to give up now!"

Gen flew out of Cavern Hole and up the stairs. She found Martin standing on the wall over the main gate. He greeted her with a nod. He didn't seem surprised that she had approached him in the manner she had. She was nearly out of breath.

"The Abbess said you were retired and wouldn't train anybeast."

"She was telling you the truth."

"Would you pick up your sword at all?"

"Yes, in defense of this Abbey and those within it."

"Good, there is a horrible evil out there. Cannibal lizards and creatures that would skin the innocent. They wear the skins, you realize. I think I ran into the guilty beasts. Rats and wolves. They are who you will be fighting. You can't do it on your own, you know. You will help from skilled beasts."

Martin stared at the horizon and frowned.

"You're right, Genevieve," he sighed. "We don't have many here at the Abbey that would be able to fight…Very well, young cat, I will train you and your brother. The coyote as well, if she so desires."

Gen bowed.

"Thank you, Martin. We will be diligent students."

"You are a very wise, Genevieve."


	10. Chapter 9

Two days had passed since Martin had agreed to train the two wildcats and coyote. Marisol had decided to postpone her training until she could return to her tribe to let them know she was alive and to contact Gingivere and Sandingomm so that they knew too that their young ones were safe. She promised to return in a few days.

Before she left, Abbess Hilda pulled the coyote aside.

"Marisol, it may be wise to have your tribe and the wildcats return with you to the Abbey. Who knows how far the rats will roam. I'm sure your family is capable of defending themselves, but Gin's and Gen's family are alone. It would be safe for them here."

Mari nodded.

"I had thought of this also. I will discuss it with Gingivere and Sandingomm and bring it up with my tribe. The cats would probably come, but I doubt my tribe would. We keep to ourselves."

"I know. I was friends with a young female coyote in the Southern Lands, until the plague drove us all out."

"My tribe is from the south. I was born here though. What was the coyote's name, do you remember?"

"Her name was Mayra."

"My grandmother's name is Mayra. She still lives. She was born with a floppy left ear, other than that she resembles me."

A smile spread over the Abbess' greying features.

"She was my friend. I do hope you can convince your tribe to join us."

Mari nodded once again and started off for her home.

* * *

Ranulf silently walked ahead of the group of tracker rats. He didn't need them to show him the way. He had been the one to discover the large sandstone building in the first place.

Denfoil was walking about three yards behind him, the rest followed closely behind her. While she remained silent, her five trackers were muttering to one another. She wasn't surprised by their topic of conversation.

"Can you believe this?" Joro, Denfoil's son and apprentice, said. "Bein' led by that brat?"

The female rat sniggered.

"Tis only cuz 'e be the leader's son. If 'e was a lowly rat, 'e'd be killed."

"Pro'ly by one o' 'is own," another rat chimed in.

"Wot do ya think we're gonna find at this fortress or wotever it be?"

"Oo knows? Sure's 'ell it'll be better dan trekin" round dis jungle or da wastelands."

"Hmmm, Joro, wot do yah tink will be in the fortress?"

"Dunno, but I 'ope there is a great pond where I can soak me paws, gardens as far as the eye can see and apples, many apples."

"Den we'll have ta keep some Woodlanders 'round. I wunder if dere be any wildcats still 'round dese parts?"

This got Denfoils attention.

"Wildcats, what do you mean wildcats?" she asked, grabbing the tracker rat.

The tracker was known as Saul.

"Afore I was part o' Lupus' 'orde, I was part o' a small raiding party. De leader was a ferret by de name o' Follo. He was from dese lands, born an' raised. 'E was part of Verduga's of the Thousand Eyes horde. 'E was the ruler o' a fortress called Kotir. De Woodlanders overdrew 'is 'orde and destroyed his castle. Follo went nort' after dat. 'E didn't know what became o' de two last cats or most of de oder 'orderbeasts."

"Wildcats!" Ranulf exclaimed. "I saw them as I was fleeing the lizard horde. Didn't stop to talk with them though. I wouldn't think they would associate with Woodlanders."

"I saw them too," Denfoil said. "Saw one kill one of my trackers with its claws alone. They would most likely be the lords of this fortress. The mice and moles we saw could have been the cats slaves, but they did look well cared for. Let's press on. We will find out the truth about this building when we get there."

She released Saul and walked on ahead of the others. After several paces, she stopped dead and turned to face Ranulf, face pale. She bowed.

"Sorry, sir," she said, still bowing. "I'm used to leading, I beg your forgiveness."

"Rise Denfoil," he said. "My father places great trust in you, I feel it is well placed. You have never failed him and know your duties. He was right having me learn from you. You may walk with me. I do know the way though."

The middle-seasoned rat fell in step with the young wolf. The five other rats followed at a good distance. The wolf and rat didn't speak for some time. Ranulf finally broke his silence.

"You think I'm a fool, just like the others. I heard what Joro said."

"You did?" Denfoil said, rather unsurely.

"Yes, but I don't care. All the other horderats say it. I admit, I have done nothing to make the horde think differently than they do. A rat such as you would think that as well. Cromm made me feel like a fool. My father, cousins, they all share the same opinion of me."

Denfoil pondered what to say next for a moment."

"My lord, I will tell you something if I may," Ranulf nodded, "I learned to track from my mother and her brother. They were very hard on me, we come from a long line of trackers and hunters. I had a lot to live up to. I always felt that I was walking on needles. My brother, while a skilled fighter, never had the intelligence for my work. They were very hard on me, and I hated them for it for a long time. It took me a long time to figure out that it is the ones who are the hardest on you that care the most."

Ranulf thought about this for a moment. Then he chuckled.

"Even Cromm?"

"Well, maybe not Cromm," Denfoil chuckled.

* * *

Silent as a wraith, Denfoil made her way around the south side of the high, red sandstone wall. She could see the eaves of a tall building peeking over the top of the wall. There were mice and few hedgehogs and squirrels positioned every so often around the perimeter. They were all scanning the forests and plains that surrounded them. It was clear that they knew that there was a threat to them nearby. Denfoil met up with her trackers and Ranulf in a dense part of Mossflower Woods, far from the eyes of the mice.

"Do ya t'ink dey know we are 'ere?" a tracker asked. "Dey are on de alert."

Denfoil nodded grimly.

"They may 'ave found the bodies of those mice and moles from a few days back…Or they knew of the lizards me and Ranulf saw."

"Wot's our next step?" Joro asked her.

The female rat motioned to the young wolf.

"What do you want us to do, sire?"

"I say we wait until nightfall and then use a tree I found that is close to the wall to enter the grounds. We still don't know what type of building this is or what types of creatures live here. This could be a wildcat's fortress or a resting place for peaceful travelers. We have no way of knowing with the amount of information we have at the moment."

Denfoil nodded.

"This sounds like a sound plan. I think only two of us should go inside. I'll go."

"I'll go as well," Ranulf said. "It's my plan. I will share the danger. Denfoil and I will go in at midnight. If we aren't back by the first streaks of dawn, make your way back to the horde and give them what information you can."

* * *

Shhhthunk!

"Good shot!" Karra exclaimed. "A hair's breadth from a bullseye!"

Gingivere smiled wide and held his long bow up proudly. He had never used a bow before, but he had discovered that he had a natural gift for it.

"Gin, try this!"

Genevieve tossed a ryebread roll high into the air. In a flash, Gin had put an arrow to his bowstring and aimed.

 _Shhthiip!_

The roll was jerked out of the sky and hit the ground with a soft bounce. Gen picked it up from where it landed. The arrow had pierced the center of the bread and gone part of the way through, exiting the other side.

"Wow!" Martin exclaimed from behind the group of youngones. "Gingivere, you are a natural."

"Thank you sir," the young wildcat said. "I did a bit of archery back on the farm. Me and my father chased off a group of ravens one time."

"I helped too," Genevieve spoke up, "but, I was out classed by him with the bow."

Martin picked up a wood staff and got into a fighting stance.

"Genevieve, pick up that staff and face me."

The wildcat did as she was bidden. Choosing a strong staff that fit her height, she tested its heft quickly before standing to face the warriormouse.

"Take the staff in both your paws," Martin instructed. "Make sure that there is equal distance from the end to your paw, between your paws and from your other paw to the other end. Then raise your staff horizontally above your head and bend your knees with your footpaws wide apart."

Gen followed his instructions and stood still for a few moments.

"Why am I doing this Martin?" she asked.

Martin answered by rushing at her and bringing his staff down overhead in a chopping motion. Gen was quick on her feet and saw it coming, so she braced herself with the staff in the position she had been directed to have it in. She was easily able to deflect Martin's swing.

"Now lower your staff to a ready position, like you were holding a walking stick."

Gen held the staff in one paw with one end of it on the ground. Martin walked a few paces from her and turned to face her again. He gripped his staff in both paws and looked at the cat intently.

"Ready, go!" he shouted and rushed forward towards Gen.

Genevieve raised her staff above her head again in the two handed position from before, catching Martin's downward chopping staff. They repeated this exercise several more times, each time Martin increased the power of his swing.

"Very good, Genevieve," he said, putting one end of his staff on the ground. "What you are doing is called a rising block. It is a very simple defense technique. Probably the most simple."

"Can I practice striking at you?"

"Striking is far easier than blocking, we will keep working on blocking for the time being. A good defense can throw an opponent off balance and open them up for an attack."

"I see," Gen nodded, "A good defense is the best offense."

Martin smiled.

"Exactly and I hope by the end of this day I can teach you how to do this effectively."

"I will take anything you teach me to heart, Martin. But, staves are different than swords. I was hoping to learn sword fighting techniques."

"In time, I will teach you that, but you must master the staff first. It will help you with building up your strength and balance. Now, resume the rising block position."

* * *

Tendrils of orange and pink streaked the sky as the sun made its final appearance for the day. Martin and Genevieve had been sparring with their staves all day. Abbeydwellers of all shapes and sizes had stopped to watch them on and off. It was a rare treat to see their champion in action these days, even if it was just with a staff.

Genevieve had mastered the rising block and gone on to learn how to counterattack with a reverse strike, fake striking Martin in the side of his head. She also learned a leg sweep, a downward thrust attack and a variety of other blocks that would defend against attacks from other angles besides from above.

"Tomorrow we will work on more attack moves and how to work the various attack techniques we worked on today with these new attacks. Also, Gingevere," the male wildcat looked over to the warriormouse from where he was stringing a bow, "I will be working with you on these techniques as well once I get Gen started on them. Gen, I want you to then start teaching our more able bodied Abbeydwellers how to use the staff. Gonff has been teaching them to use a sling and stones"

Gingivere gave a smile of excitement.

"Yes, Martin," he said happily. "I will be an attentive student."

"I'm sure you will. Now, we have been working hard all day. Let's get some food and a good night's sleep."

As he was walking behind the two wildcats to the Great Hall, Karra ran to join Martin. She had been instructing Gingivere and a few squirrels and mice in archery all day, but had kept one of her eyes on Martin and Genevieve.

"Gen is very good."

"Yes she is."

"Why haven't you ever taught me to fight with a sword? I've asked at least fifty score times."

"Karra," Martin sighed. "Violence is something that worms its way into your soul. Once you have looked into the eyes of someone you have killed, you will be changed. I don't want that for you. I've watched beasts I cared deeply about be killed horribly and I know you have too…Your parents, Soilburr and Aster. I want better for you than what I have had to go through."

Karra's shoulders slumped and she stopped walking. Martin stopped walking as well.

"But Martin, you can't ignore what's going on outside our Abbey. I want to protect our home and our friends."

Martin opened his mouth to say something.

"You're teaching Genevieve. How is she different? How are Ginge and Marisol different?"

"Karra, they're…"

"They're what? Vermin? Is that what you were going to say? They are prone to violence already so what difference does teaching them more violence make? Are you just making them into weapons to use against their own kind, other vermin?"

Martin sighed again.

"I don't know, maybe."

Karra shook her head and stepped away from her mentor.

"You know that those two wildcats aren't like that. You do them a disservice by treating them like that. The senior Gingivere is your friend. He would never teach his youngones to be vermin."

Martin closed his eyes and scratched the fur at the back of his head.

"You're right, you're right. Very well, Karra. I will teach you tomorrow along with Gingivere as long as you are at a point with your archery lessons that you can leave your pupils to practice on their own."

Karra started walking towards the Great Hall again.

"They are doing very well already. I will begin my lessons with you and Gingivere tomorrow then."

* * *

The final rays of the sun were disappearing over the tops of Mossflower Woods. Ranulf, Denfoil and their tracker rats were all hunkered down in the shrubs near Redwall's north wall. Their sharp eyes were tracking and noting the goings on with the guards on the wall tops.

Denfoil used a rock to sharpen her claws. Sharper claws made it easier for her climb trees. She had instructed the young wolf to do the same and to get some rest. She and Ranulf were going to be scaling the tree he had found and scouting the Abbey's grounds. They had both agreed that there would be no plundering or killing while on the grounds. It would tip them off that someone was watching them.

Denfoil looked to Ranulf. His eyes were half closed, but he was still watching the battlements above them. This would be his final test, Denfoil figured. If he messed this up, she had no doubt that his father would do away with him.


	11. Chapter 10

Marisol adjusted the haversack on her shoulders and cleared the branches of shrubs out of her way with her yew staff. The Redwallers had provided her with enough food for three days, but she knew it wouldn't take her that long to reach the wildcats' family farm and her tribe's village. Thinking back on her adventures of the past few days, she figured she couldn't be too prepared.

Walking along in a northwestern direction she thought about those recent adventures. Shaking her head she remembered how she had commented to her mother just the day before she was caught up on the river how her life was so humdrum. Marisol had told her that she just wanted some adventure in her life.

"I guess I got my wish," Mari thought.

The young coyote hummed to herself as she walked along. The sun shone brightly through the foliage over her head and the light flickered as she walked. Listening to the pretty trilling of the nearby birds, the young coyote tried to come up with a song to match their tune.

"The forest in spring,

What a pretty thing,

The flowers bloom,

As I try to stay in tune.

"Easily the birds sing aloud,

While they fly by a cloud,

And I struggle along,

To try and think up this song."

"My, my, my, a moosical foxy," came a shrill voice from the surrounding bushes, "I ne'er met one wit' such a nice voice."

Marisol about jumped out of her skin at the suddenness of the voice. Quickly, she jumped up onto a low tree branch. She scanned the surrounding area, but saw no beast. She held herself very still, letting the other beast make a move.

"Hah, oo tink 'iding in te trees will save oo."

Marisol tried to pinpoint the source of the voice, but she was having no luck. Whoever it was, he was not staying in one place and was not making any sound. She sniffed the air. The smell of tree pollen was very strong there. She couldn't tell what type of beast it was.

"Fortunata, oo shoulda known better tan to come back to dis place."

Fortunata? Mari thought. Who is that?

"You have mistaken me for someone else, sir. My name is Marisol and I am a coyote, not a fox."

A high pitched cackle emanated from the bushes to her left.

"Lies, lies. Oo were always the tricky one, Fortunata. Ol' Verdauga ne'er shoulda trusted ya."

"I don't know what you are talking about."

Verdauga? She thought. Why is that name familiar?

"Did Tsamina send ya affer me? Oo can't get me!"

Tsarmina! Mari thought. That was Gen and Gin's aunt. He must be a remnant of her army.

"No one sent me," Mari said. "I was just passing through. I didn't know you were here. Please, I'll just be on my way. I didn't mean to disturb you."

"Hah!" the creature shrieked. "Oo are a liar! Oo will ne'er leave 'ere alive!"

Mari took her yew staff in both paws and crouched back against the tree trunk. Her heart beat quickly in her chest as she strained to concentrate on listening for any sounds the other beast might make. The world around her seemed to slow down.

Then, almost too late, she heard it. Fast, she twisted her head to the side, feeling a sting to her right ear.

 _Sssshhh-chunk!_

The sound came from immediately next to the right side of her head. She turned to look quickly to find a small dagger sticking out of the trunk. Her paw went to her ear. The dagger had caught the side of it, slicing a gouge into the outside edge.

Just in time, Marisol caught the pungent scent of beast from above her and brought her staff above her head, deflecting the rusty sword that had been swinging at her head. With great force, she pushed the attack away from her. He fell back from the tree branch and landed on all fours on the forest floor.

It was an ancient, one-eyed ferret. When he stood back up onto his hind paws, Mari could see that his back was crooked. He smiled wickedly at her, showing toothless, black gums.

"Ya fight well, Fortunata. I will enjoy dis!"

From under his ratty cloak he threw a weighted rope up at Mari. She had no choice but to jump to the ground as the rope wrapped around the branch where she had just been standing. She landed on the ground a few paw strides from the ferret. He cackled at her and charged forward.

Mari brought her staff up and managed to deflect his initial strike. The vermin immediately swung his sword back around. Mari jumped backwards, just barely avoiding the slashing blade as it whizzed past her stomach. She brought her staff back up into a defensive position, taking note that there were now two deep gouges into the wood. She realized that her weapon wouldn't take more than a few more hits before it was cut to pieces.

I have to get away from this crazy ferret! Mari thought frantically.

She jumped backwards twice more as the ferret made his attacks. She was realizing that his attacks were fairly clumsy. Whether it was from age or injury, he was not a quick fighter. He had been lucky before when he had the art of surprise on his side. Now that he was out in the open, she felt she could get the upperpaw.

If only I could find a better weapon, she thought. Or take his.

 _Crack!_

Now her one yew staff became two yew sticks as she deflected one final swing from the ferret. Rushing forward, Mari slammed her sticks down on the vermin's footpaw. He yowled in pain and grabbed his paw, dropping his sword. Marisol grabbed for it and shoved the ferret backwards. He stumbled and fell onto his side as Mari picked up his sword.

Flicking one of his wrists, he threw his weighted rope at the coyote. As he had hoped, it missed the sword's blade and wrapped around the female's neck, the weight smacking her hard on her left temple. Quickly, he pulled the rope hard, not giving her a chance to use her sword on it.

Mari was momentarily stunned by the weight and was easily pulled down to all fours, dropping the sword. The rope cinched tightly around her neck, cutting off both air and blood flow to her brain. Her ability to think seemed to leave her. The sound of the ferret's nasty cackling laugh brought her back to her current reality and she saw that he had retrieved his sword and was raising it to strike her down.

Doing the only thing that came to her clouded mind, she sprung forward as hard as she could and pulled at the rope around her neck. The rusty sword sliced through a shoulder strap on her haversack, but missed hitting her. She bowled into the ferret's legs taking him to the ground. The impact with the forest floor knocked the wind out of the elderly vermin. Marisol, sitting on his legs, grabbed the sword from his hands and struck him in the head with it to knock him out. It only took her one hit to do the job.

Once he was out cold, Mari sighed in relief and slouched forward. She felt totally exhausted. This was her first hand-to-hand fight. She briefly considered slaying the ferret, but felt that it wouldn't be an honorable thing to do. She wanted to be able to fit in with the Redwallers, prove to them that she wasn't a vermin. She knew that no Redwaller would ever kill anybeast in their sleep, vermin or not.

Rising to her footpaws, she unwound the rope from around her neck. She carefully rubbed her paw over her now tender throat. She found that it was painful to swallow. Not wanting the ferret to wake up and attack her again, she wasted no more time and dragged him to a nearby elm tree. She untangled the rest of the rope from beneath his cloak and tied him securely to the trunk.

She quickly mended the strap of her haversack and tucked the rusty sword in her belt. Remembering the ferret's initial attack, she retrieved the dagger from the truck of the tree and tucked it into her sling stone pouch on her belt. Seeing the dagger reminded her about the cut on her ear. Touching it with her paw, she found that it was still bleeding. She was about to dig her canteen of water out of her pack, when she heard the ferret begin to groan and stir.

Deciding that it was best she left his vicinity, she ran off in a northwestern direction as she had been before being attacked. She didn't stop running until she came to a decent sized stream. The water was clear and reflective, so Mari decided to stop there and take a look at her ear.

She set her haversack down on the stream bank and peered into the water. The slice was deep. Marisol was sure that if not properly set, it would leave a permanent split in her ear. That was not something that she relished. She was quite proud of her perfectly triangular ears. She washed the slice and was deciding on what the best course of action would be to set her ear, when she felt a sharp object press into her back.

Oh no, not the ferret again! She thought.

"Who are you? Why are you trespassin' on my stream?" came a deep voice that definitely did not belong to the ferret. "Put yore paws in the air!"

Marisol sighed and raised her paws where the other creature could see them. She just couldn't catch a break.

"Look, I just stopped to treat my ear. A nasty ol' ferret attacked me for no reason a ways southeast of here. I'm just trying to get back to my tribe and wildcat neighbors. There is a nasty horde of cannibal lizards and a nasty horde of rats in Mossflower and I am just trying to warn them. You'd do best to find somewhere to hide as well. Redwall possibly if they will take you."

"Huh, you were attacked by crazy ol' Ringworm were ya? Did you kill 'im?"

"No, I just knocked him out and tied him to a tree. Didn't seem right to slay an unconscious creature."

"A fox with a conscience? I never thought I'd see that."

"I'm not a fox, I'm a coyote."

"A coyote? Turn around, keep your paws raised."

Marisol carefully turned to face the other beast, making sure to keep her paws in his line of sight. For a split second, she was puzzled. There was no one there, but a soft 'ahem' caught her attention and made her look down. A male shrew about the same age as her was standing next to her haversack a few paw lengths up the bank from her. He had a no nonsense look on his face and still had his short rapier extended in her direction.

"Huh, indeed you are not a fox. My apologies. Still, what are you doin' here? This stream is part of Guosim territory."

"I am just passin' through on the way to my village. That ferret attacked me and sliced my ear. He nearly strangled me as well. I did not know I was trespassing. I will be on my way peacefully."

There was a soft rustling from the reeds behind the young shrew and an older male shrew emerged. He looked a lot like the young shrew.

"Son, you caught a coyote, I see. A rare find in these parts I must say."

"You are the first beast I've run into that knew I was a coyote on sight," Marisol said. "I always have to correct new acquaintances."

The elder shrew guffawed.

"I am not surprised, child. I know the coyote tribe northwest of here. Are you one of them?"

"I am. My grandfather is the chieftain. My name is Marisol."

"Well, I'll be," the shrew laughed, slapping his thigh. "Ol' Saul is yore gran'pappy! A small forest this is."

He turned to the younger shrew.

"You can lower yore blade, Kellen. This coyote is a friend."

"Why have I never met this so called friend?" Kellen asked, sheathing his rapier.

"The coyotes are very private beasts. In my younger days we Guosim helped them find a site for their village and traded 'em some logboats for some fine metal. I believe yore rapier was made with some of that metal."

The elder shrew turned to Marisol.

"I'm Log a Log Bogan. I'm the leader of the Guosim. Come, our hideout is not far from 'ere. You need to get yore ear looked at."

It was a short walk to the Guosim's hideout up the stream. Log a Log lead her through a cave entrance that was some distance from the stream and concealed by hanging vines. She followed the two shrews down a winding stone passage which eventually opened up into a large cavern. There were shrews of all ages scattered around. Some were tending kitchen fires. Others were tending to drying racks where strips of fish were hung. Still others were milling around small fires drinking, eating and laughing. Young shrews ducked and weaved around the other Guosim members as they played their youngone games.

Log a Log Bogan got the attention of a young female shrew who was sitting at a fire with several other young females. They had been working together on a large quilt and sipping a sweet smelling drink from dainty cups.

The female shrew walked over to the trio, eyeing Marisol warily. Mari had been getting that same look from all the adults in the cave. The youngest of the shrews had started to race close past her to get a better look at her.

"Uncle Bogan, who is this newcomer?" the young female asked.

"Unice, this is Marisol of the Mossflower coyote tribe," Log a Log responded. "I know you've never met 'em, but you have undoubtedly heard of them. Marisol, this is my niece, Unice.

Mari extended a paw to shake the shrew's paw, but realized it was covered in blood from her ear, so she just nodded in greeting to Unice. The shrew curtsied.

"Yes, I 'ave 'eard of yore tribe, Marisol," she said. "Yore ear looks dreadful. That's the reason you summoned me Uncle, I take it?"

"Yes it is," Log a Log turned to Marisol, "Unice is an excellent healer. She will get ya stitched up. Then we'll get ya fed."

Mari thanked the shrew leader and followed Unice to a side corridor. Unice had her step into an infirmary just off that corridor.

"Please sit on this bed 'ere," she directed, handing the coyote a clean cloth to put on her ear. "Tis still bleedin' some."

Mari took the cloth and sat on the bed as directed. She gently put the cloth to her ear, wincing. Even the slight pressure she was putting on the wound stung. She watched and waited without complaint as Unice gathered medical supplies and placed them on a small, wheeled cart. Once the shrew had all her supplies together, she pushed the cart up next to the bed Mari was sitting in. She then placed a stool in front of the coyote. Before sitting down, Unice rinsed her paws in a bowl of water and toweled them dry.

The shrew set to work, warning Mari that it might sting and asking that she refrain from biting her.

"That's the same warning I 'ave to give our young'uns when I patch up their scrapes and bruises. They're quite bitey."

Mari chuckled.

"I'll do my best."

Unice cleaned the caked blood from Mari's ear first and then dabbed on some ointment onto the cut and the area surrounding it. She explained that it would both help numb the injury and keep it from festering.

"I'm going to be putting some stitches in your ear in just a moment. Even with the numbing agent, it will hurt some. Please do your best to bear it."

"I'll do my best."

Unice threaded a tiny bone needle. It was at this moment that Log a Log Bogan joined the pair in the Infirmary. The female shrew gently took ahold of Mari's ear and set to work. To help distract her, Log a Log asked her,

"So, what brings you so far from your tribe?"

Mari told him about being swept away from her village in the storm and being saved by her wildcat friends. Log a Log stated that he knew the cats well and would stop by to chat with the elder Gingevere and Sandingomm from time to time. Mari went on to tell him about her experiences leading up to going to Redwall and of her current mission.

"I'd 'eard tell of a rat horde coming into the Mossflower area, but I 'adn't 'eard of any cannibal lizards. Hmm, I think a trip to the Abbey is in order for my tribe. Tis been a few seasons since our last visit."

Unice finished tying off the stitches and put a dressing on the coyote's ear. Mari stood once Unice had stepped away with her cart.

"Come Marisol, I'll show you the way to our kitchens," Log a Log said. "They're always open."

Mari followed the shrew leader to the main cavern and to one of the kitchen fires. There was a rather fat female shrew in charge of that fire and she joyfully filled a bowl of shrimp, wild carrot, watercress and a bit of hotroot to give it a kick, or so the shrew cook claimed. The young coyote was handed a sizable chunk of freshly made wheat bread for dipping. There were strawberry scones and a bowl of apples, pears and plums on the nearby table she chose to sit at.

She was joined by Log a Log Bogan, Kellen and Unice. They all had a bowl of the soup and a hunk of bread. Kellen had also brought along four beakers of apple cider for all of They all dug into their food. Mari found the soup fairly spicy, but nothing she couldn't handle and she thought it was very tasty. The cider and scones were also delicious.

"You should stay the night 'ere," Log a Log told her, swallowing the last of his soup. "Give yore ear a chance to do some 'ealin.'"

"Yes, I think that would be best. I'm quite tired from my fight with the ferret. He kept referring to me as Fortunata. From what he said, it sounds like she was a fox from Tsarmina's army."

"Yes, Ringworm is a remnant of 'er ole 'orde," Log a Log said. "'E's as old as 'is is crazy. We've made a few attempts to catch 'im, but 'e's a slippery feller."

"'E's a menace to beasts travelling alone, but not so much to us," Unice said. "It'd be a good thing when 'e's slain or dies o' old age."

"I'll go with you to the wildcat farm and to yore tribe's village," Kellen said. "It will be safer with more than one single beast on 'is own."

"I'd like to go with you too, if that is acceptable to you, Mari," Unice spoke up.

"The more the merrier," Mari said, finishing her cider.

Mari stayed up several more hours talking to the Guosim around a fire pit, telling them of her recent adventures and about her tribe. The tiny shrewbabes were especially curious of her. They climbed all over her and stroked her fluffy tail. Eventually, a group of shrewmums shooed the group to their beds.

The young coyote was shown to a bed in the infirmary for the night. She, Kellen and Unice all made plans to set out immediately after breakfast the following morning. The rest of the Guosim would be packing up and heading to Redwall.


	12. Chapter 11

Crickets and the rustling of leaves in the light breeze were the only sounds that could be heard as Ranulf, Denfoil and her five tracker rats approached the tall, ancient beech tree that the Abbeydwellers had foolishly allowed to remain so close to their outer wall. The bright moon above provided all the light they needed to complete their task.

They had discussed their strategy and they were going to attempt to climb above the top of the wall as high as they could before the branches became too weak to hold their weight. One of them, they had elected Joro who was the lightest of the bunch, was going to jump onto the battlement with a rope and secure it to the wall.

At least, that was how Ranulf was hoping their exercise went. It was mostly his plan. It would not look good for him if one of the rats, particularly Joro, fell to his death.

They carefully and silently climbed the tree, Denfoil leading the way and Ranulf at the end of the line. The five tracker rats had voted to have him be last. None of them trusted the young wolf's climbing ability and didn't want to be knocked off the tree or crushed by the significantly larger beast. Ranulf had actually felt relief at being behind the rats. He felt far more relaxed if he didn't feel like he had to perfect all the time.

It took them a considerable amount of time to reach the top of the wall. They were unable to go any higher because the branches were becoming thinner and thinner. The branches they were perched on were just barely able to support them. They stayed still for some time. They needed to be sure their scaling of the tree had not been noticed by the wall guards. Their combined movements had surely caused some movement of the tree itself.

Either they were very lucky or the guards were not used to their posts as lookouts, the rats knew not, but there was no movement anywhere near their tree. Joro tied one end of the rope around his waist. Denfoil coiled it on top of the end of the branch to prevent it from being caught. The young rat stood at the trunk and took a deep breath. Nodding to his mother, he sprung forward and ran at a dead sprint at the wall, leaping as his footpaw connected with the last bit of sturdy branch.

He flew through the air in complete silence. All the rats and Ranulf in the tree held their breath as Joro seemed to move in slow motion towards the red sandstone battlement. He reached out with both paws and caught the edge of the parapet with his sharp claws. He pulled himself up onto it and disappeared onto what was surely a walkway out of their sight.

A few moments passed and Joro's head popped over the parapet. He grinned and motioned them to come over. Ranulf tied the other end of the rope to the trunk of the tree, giving it a tug to make sure it was secure. He gave a nod to Denfoil and the others. Denfoil grabbed onto the rope with both paws and wrapped her legs around the rope. It didn't take her long to make it to the parapet. Each rat followed her example, leaving Ranulf in the tree.

The rope dipped more for him than it had when the rats had used it to cross into the abbey, but he made it to the sandstone walkway without issue. Joro untied the rope from the parapet and let it drop. They were going to use the small north gate that they had seen earlier as their exit. Leaving the rope there would only alert the guards to their presence.

Still saying nothing, Denfoil motioned for the rats to form into groups of two and to go in different directions to scout the grounds. Ranulf was to go on his own. He walked behind Denfoil and a male rat as they headed towards a staircase leading to the ground below.

The two rats hurried ahead of him, but Ranulf heard a slight noise behind him on the battlement and ducked down below it on the staircase. His black fur provided excellent camouflage in the dim light. A good sized mouse in a green robe walked by, just by his head. Ranulf was not noticed. He watched the mouse, who stopped a few paces beyond the staircase. The sentry began to turn towards where the wolf was standing.

Ranulf knew that if he didn't take action right then, he'd be discovered. Having no way to know if he would be seen running down the long flight of sandstone steps, he chose to attack. Before the mouse could turn all the way around, Ranulf sprang forward. He grabbed the mouse around the neck and clamped his large paw around the smaller beast's muzzle. He pressed down hard on the mouse's windpipe until he stopped struggling. It didn't take long before Ranulf could feel his windpipe being crushed beneath his paw.

He stayed with the mouse for some time, making sure he was dead. Throwing the slain mouse over his shoulder he carried him down the stairs and hid him between a clump of tall bushes and the wall where he wouldn't be found.

Once the sentry was hidden, Ranulf crept away from the wall. He had lost sight of the rats, but continued on with the plan. He floated like a shadow from tree to tree, from hedge to hedge until he reached the grand abbey building itself. He couldn't help but marvel at the mice's ingenuity and craftsmanship. The red sandstone blocks were precision cut and the stained glass windows that towered over him were intricate and breathtaking.

He padded silently to a large wood door and reached out to take hold of the ring-style handle when he faintly heard the sound of pawsteps on stone coming from directly on the other side of the door. The door began to open inward.

* * *

Gingivere stretched luxuriously. He had just been woken up by a middle-seasoned mouse for his shift on the wall. He walked over to the vanity in a corner of his room and splashed water on his face and whiskers to wake himself up fully.

After he toweled himself dry, he looked at himself in the small mirror. He turned his head this way and that. The young wildcat felt like he looked older now than he did when he and Genevieve left their farmhouse, despite only a few days having passed by.

The young wildcat hung the towel on a bar attached to the vanity and went up to his door. He could hear multiple other Abbeydwellers stirring around him, either getting ready for their shift on the wall or in the kitchen, perhaps, or returning to their beds after a long shift.

Upon exiting his room, he took a glance at the door leading to Genevieve's quarters. She would have started her shift four hours earlier and would have four hours left. He planned to join her and they could be on lookout duty together.

Gingivere hurried down the main dormitory staircase to the Great Hall, passing Martin at the bottom. The warriormouse had just completed his shift on lookout.

"Anything for me to keep a special lookout for sir?" the youngone asked.

"Keep your fine sense of smell tuned in" Martin suggested. "Cats have very sensitive noses, I have found."

Gingivere nodded, taking the warrior's advice to heart.

"Have you seen my sister?"

"Yes, she's on the South Wall, over the gate."

Gingivere wished the mouse of good night and stopped by the continually ran buffet table in Cavern Hole. The buffet had been setup to feed those leaving for and coming back from their shifts on the walls. He chose two blueberry scones, an apple and a wedge of cheddar cheese.

The cat scarfed down the food and by the time he reached the Abbey's large front door, all he had was the apple left. Of all the beasts leaving for their shifts, he was the first to approach the door. Being the gentlecat he naturally was, he opened the door and held it open for those who are following along behind him.

* * *

Genevieve yawned widely. She definitely was not used to staying up all night. She found it difficult to keep her eyes open. The gentle swaying of the trees in the distance was quite mesmerizing.

Looking around, she watched as those finished with their shifts on lookout, including Martin, descended the stairs to the ground below. It would be several minutes before the next shift would make it up to their posts. She hoped that ginger beer would join her for the rest of her shift.

A small amount of time passed. Gen had no way of knowing how long exactly but as that time went on she sensed something was off. She thought hard about it.

What is it? She thought. There's something wrong but what is it?

The wildcat turn to look both ways Down the Walls then back towards the Abbey.

Walter where's Walter?

Brother Walter was a longtime member of the redwall order. He had been walking in circles around the wall since the beginning of his shift. Jen had started her shift at the same time as brother Walter.

You should have passed me already she muttered to herself.

She scanned the walls as far as she could see. Jim's eyesight was top-notch and she could make out details really well with the current amount of light being provided by the moon and stars. There were also lanterns that out periodically along the walls. The only portion of the wall she could not see was the portion blocked by The Abbey building itself. From what she could see no Beast was walking along the walls walkways stairs or even across the grounds below.

Her eyes went to the Abbeys main door off the Great Hall. The next shift should be stepping out from it at any moment.

What's that? Jen murmured.

There was a large black shadow crushed on the threshold of the main door. She studied it with her eyes. It was too solid to be a shadow it had to be an intruder.

Genevieve crouched down behind a pile of rubble not wanting to tip off the Intruder that he'd been spotted. She carefully scanned the grounds if there was one Intruder there surely would be more. As she scanned the grounds her mind was racing.

What do I do? She thought frantically.

The cat took out her sling and a stone from the pouch on her belt. She put the round Stone in the sling and swing it around her head as her father had taught her. Those long-ago lessons on Farm defense springing to her mind.

Suddenly the grand oak door opened. Jen gast she could see a familiarly patterned paw and arm holding the door open it was Gingivere!

* * *

Gingivere's attention was grabbed by movement from the other side of the threshold. Before him stood a large black shadow. It only grew larger as he looked at it. He realized that the shadow was actually a large beast. In the blink of an eye, he acted. He knew that the few, smaller mice following behind him would have no chance against whatever variety of beast had invaded the Abbey's grounds.

With a yowl, he sprung forward, the only weapon he weapon he had at his disposal extended in front of him, his claws. The other beast stepped back quickly trying to avoid the wildcat's attack. Gingivere just barely caught the shadow on the back of a paw.

Now that they were in close proximity and out of the shadow of the Abbey building, Gingivere could see that the beast was a rather large wolf. He'd never seen a wolf before, but based on the description he had been given by his mother, this was most definitely one.

"Get out of the Abbey!" he shouted at the wolf.

The black wolf emitted a low growl as he pulled out a beautifully wrought short sort, gripping it in his strong paw, he shifted into a fighting stance. Gingivere brought his paws up, claws unsheathed, standing his ground. He hoped to just by enough time for other Abbeydwellers to arrive and they could capture or dispatch the wolf.

The wolf threw his head towards the sky and howled a long piercing cry. As the final note escaped his lips he sprung forward with his sword at Gingivere. It was the cat's natural agility that saved him from being pierced by the blade.

In his peripheral, he could hear other beasts running up from all sides. Friend or foe, he had no way of knowing whose side they were on. The wolf yelped and took a step back from Gin as two sling stones bounced off first his cheek and then his shoulder.

A young mouse ran up to the wolf from the direction of the north gate, swinging out at the larger beast's head with a sturdy oak staff. He missed by a hair. The wolf responded by slashing his own weapon around.

The middle of the razor sharp sword sliced through the staff. The tip of the blade sliced some part of the mouse's body. He cried out and fell to the side, dropping his halves of the staff.

Gingivere snarled and leaped forward while the wolf was distracted. He shoved the canine back and slashed at his head with his long, curved claws. The wolf yelped and snarled clutching the socket of his right eye. Gin shook the wet, squishy mess from his claws and paw. He had taken the wolf's eye clean out.

With a snarl of rage, the wolf advanced with his sword. It was clear to all able to see him, horderat or Abbeydweller, that the wolf was an amazing swords beast.

Moonlight sparkled off the blade as the wolf expertly whipped it sideways and then in the same fluid motion, thrusted forward driving Gingivere back. The cat received multiple deep slashes to his paws and wrists as he frantically tried to defend himself.

Gingivere was driven backwards at a fast rate. He could hear other beasts quickly approaching their position, but he didn't dare take his eyes off the flashing blade in front of him. He was so focused on the danger in front, he didn't know what hazards could be coming up behind him.

The wolf thrust forward once again, driving Gingivere back still more. The cat had to jump back to avoid the swords pointed blade. Before he could stop himself he tripped over a thick pole that had been lying on the ground. He cried out in surprise as he fell backwards, his paws windmilling.

* * *

Genevieve was no more than three paw rides from the wolf and her brother when Gin fell backwards onto the rack of wooden spikes, where he immediately went limp and motionless. It had been mere moments since she had spotted the wolf at the door to Great Hall, but it felt like it had taken her seasons to cross the Abbey grounds and reach her brother. It was too long to take for Gingivere.

Her scream of anguish brought the injured wolf's attention to her. He raised his sword in front of him in a defensive stance, blade angled diagonally across his upper body. It was still dripping with blood from the mouse and Gingivere. The black wolf bared his teeth and growled.

"I recognize you now cat," he said. "You were one of the beasts running from the lizards."

Genevieve's blood was boiling and her was heart pounding in her ears. Her vision was going red. She didn't acknowledge that the wolf had spoken, she couldn't. All there was inside her was a desire to kill the wolf I need to kill the wolf.

* * *

Martin the Warrior had heard the shouting from the wall. He immediately grabbed his sword from the stand by his bed and hurried down the stairs to the Great Hall. He barely noticed the Abbey Brothers and Sisters who milled around the hall, some corralling curious Dibbuns. He, Foremole Axa and several other beasts charged out the open doorway to the Abbey grounds.

He ran into a large rat almost as soon as he stepped onto the threshold. The rat flailed out at the warriormouse with his rusty sword. Martin instinctively parried with his own, shearing the rat's sword in half. One half of the cleaved sword clanged off the cobblestones beneath the rats foot paws. Before the rat could turn to face the mouse, Martin slashed his sword back around, slicing the rat's throat.

While Martin was dealing with the first rat, Foremole and the others continued on passed him.

"Burr, you'uns spurd oot thuraways," Foremole Axa instructed, pointing with her large paw. "An' you'uns goo thur urra way, durve oot all inturders."

The mice and moles did as she instructed, joining those who had been on guard duty and began searching the grounds. Martin and Foremole hurried to where they heard a commotion. There was a small group of wall defenders standing between them and the noise. The pair were horrified by what they saw occurring before them.

Genivieve was fighting a large, black wolf with a sword, using just her claws and a sling loaded with a sling stone. She had him on the defensive with her savage and thoughtless attacks. Martin could easily recognize the symptoms.

"Everyone get back," Martin shouted. "She has Bloodwrath!"

The mice and Foremole stepped back. Foremole backed into a young rat branishing a short sword. A well timed parry with her sturdy dagger deflected the rat. A young mouse Sister named Kiera brought her stout oak staff down on the back of the rat's head, knocking him senseless. Foremole quickly secured his paws behind his back before turning back to Martin, Genivieve and the wolf.

Martin was defending against two rats, trying to keep them off Gen's back. With a few deft movements and blade twirls, Martin easily slew both rats. Brother Timal and Brother Dorn, both strong, no-nonsense mice in their middle seasons, had a third rat cornered against the rack of spikes.

The rat was wildly swinging his sword at the pair who were armed with bows and arrows. Both had an arrow pulled back in their bows, ready to fire. The rat lunged at them with his sword, clipping Brother Dorn's bow with the blade, causing it to snap and strike Dorn on the face and leg. He fell back, senseless. Brother Timal fired his arrow into the rat's chest, slaying him.

Martin was wracking his brain for a way to get through to Genevieve. In most cases the only ways to stop a beast consumed with Bloodwrath was for them to either die, be close to death or run out of opponents. The wolf was a skilled and clearly trained fighter. He didn't think an unarmed Genevieve was going to be victorious in a fight with him in her current stage of training. He had to put an end to it and fast.

He readied his sword and sprung at the wolf, deflecting a thrust aimed at the wildcat. He drove back the wolf, matching him blow for blow, suffering a minor slash across a shoulder. Genevieve followed along with Martin, the Bloodwrath still consuming her. She barely acknowledged his presence.

"Gen, look out!" Martin shouted.

He had seen it coming a moment before giving Gen the warning. A lithe female rat pounced out of nowhere at Genevieve, her sword at the ready. Gen turned and slashed the rat from face to belly, slaying her. A look of surprise was permanently etched on the rat's face as she lay still on the ground.

The wolf was tiring, but was nowhere near beaten. Using some deep reserve of strength, he shoved Martin back and turned to run. He made a dead sprint for the small north gate. The wounded cat and older mouse could not keep up with the naturally fleet of paw wolf. By the time Martin and Gen reached the open gate, he was long gone.

Genevieve slumped down onto all fours and retched. Martin wanted to follow the wolf, but realized the wolf had a too far head start on them to make chasing him through the woods at night worth it. He went to Gen's side.

"Come along, we need to get your wounds treated."

"I-I can't…can't let him get away," she gasped.

"There's nothing you can do right now," Martin said, putting her arm over his shoulders, helping her to her hind paws.

"You saw what he did to my brother, he has to pay!"

Martin was puzzled. He hadn't seen Gingivere in the dimness of the side of Redwall.

"I didn't see him, Gen."

"That wolf killed him, he fell back onto the spike rack!" she sobbed.

Martin took a calming breath as the wildcat sobbed brokenly.

"Then I will make him pay for it."


	13. Chapter 12

Marisol, Kellen and Unice made good time to the wildcat farm. Sandingomm had been washing dishes in the kitchen and saw their approach. At first, the wildcat was alarmed, thinking Marisol was a fox accompanied by two small rats. Once the trio drew closer to the farmhouse, she realized who they were, Marisol and shrews from the Guosim tribe. She hurried out to meet them, looking about for her husband and kittens, they were still in the fields.

"Marisol!" she called, hurrying up to the young coyote. "How are you? Who are your friends?"

"This is Kellen and Unice of the Guosim," the young coyote said, pointing to each shrew as she spoke their names. "Kellen is the son of the Log a Log. We are here to warn you and your family. Is Gingivere around?"

"He is out with my four remaining young in the fields. Gingivere and Genevieve went to Redwall, or at least I hope they made it. That storm from the other night…"

"Yes, they made it," Mari said, realizing that Sandingomm and Gingivere would not know what had happened to their two eldest kittens. "I was caught in the river that night and they jumped into save me, but we got swept down the river."

Marisol described how the three young ones had run into the two infant mice, been captured by the cannibal lizards, the short altercation with a group of rats and a wolf and had finally met up with Martin the Warrior and their arrival at Redwall.

"They sent me to warn you about the lizards and the appearance of a horde of vermin in Mossflower. The rats and wolf are most likely a part of that horde. The Abbess sent me to warn you and my tribe and possibly have you return to the Abbey for your safety until the horde can be dealt with. I happened upon the Guosim on my way here."

Sandingomm took a deep breath and nodded.

"So Gen and Gin are healthy and unhurt?"

"Yes, they are both just fine."

"Well, you three young ones can head into the house. There is fresh mint tea and water in the kitchen and bread and cheese in the cupboard, you remember where it is kept, Marisol. I'm going to find my mate and kittens. We will discuss going to Redwall with Gingivere and update him on Gin and Gen."

Sandingomm headed north to find her family while the coyote and two shrews went into the finely crafted farmhouse. The kitchen, with the absence of the two eldest wildcat young ones, was spotless. Gingivere and Genevieve were frequently in charge of kitchen cleanup, or so they complained. Marisol had visited the cats often, so knew where everything was stored. She placed three clay mugs and three small clay plates on the round, oak, kitchen table while she instructed the shrew cousins where to find the food and drink. Kellen and Unice placed a pitcher of mint tea, a basket of sliced oat bread and a long platter of assorted cheeses in the center of the table. The three young and always hungry beasts sat down and dug into the delicious and homemade food.

The front door opened with a bang as a dusty Gingivere hurried into the kitchen. He wore a worried expression on his face. Magda, Zelda, Martin, Petunia and Sandingomm hurried in directly behind him. His eyes flicked from Mari's to Kellen's to Unice's faces quickly, searching their faces.

"Sandingomm gave me a quick explanation of what happened to Gingivere and Genevieve," he said. "Marisol you said none of you three were harmed the night of the storm?"

The coyote introduced the shrews and again described what had happened the night of the storm and the events leading up to her and her two shrew friends setting out for the wildcat farm as Gingivere and his four young ones washed the dirt from their paws. Sandingomm brought out six more mugs and plates and two more chairs and then refilled the pitcher of tea. The wildcat family squeezed in around the table with the coyote and the shrews.

"Abbess Hilda, Bella and Martin the Warrior all agree that it would be best if your family went to Redwall until the horde and possibly the lizards are dealt with," Mari told them. They could easily come to this farm and you would be defenseless against them."

Kellen and Unice nodded in agreement.

"My father Log a Log agrees," Kellen said. "The Guosim are preparin' to go to the Abbey as we speak. They're just waitin' on word from me or Unice. They will make the journey with your family. Should you choose to come with us, of course."

Sandingomm and Gingivere looked at one another for a moment and nodded.

"We will meet up with the Guosim and seek shelter at Redwall," Gingivere said. "One of the reasons we sent Gin and Gen to the Abbey was to find out why we haven't heard from the Brothers and Sisters in so long. I suppose there being a rat horde and a lizard horde in the woods is as good a reason as any to not venture from home. I think together we can drive them out, but in the meantime, being within the Abbey is the safest place to be."

He turned to his youngones.

"Each of you fetch a single haversack from the shed and put in a single change of clothes, a cloak and a blanket. Nothing else, your mother will be adding food and other supplies. I will be cutting you each a walking stick. Be sure to wear your most comfortable walking sandals."

The four youngones hurried off to do their father's bidding. Sandingomm was bustling about the kitchen putting together a few days' worth of dry food and water and a small medical kit for each family member.

"Unice, we will continue on to Mari's village," Kellen said, standing up. "Could you please escort the wildcat's to the hideout once they're ready to leave?"

"I shall."

Unice and Marisol stood from the table and hugged. Unice hugged Kellen and the male shrew and coyote took their leave.

"Safe travels to you, Marisol and you, Kellen," Gingivere said as he walked with the pair as far as the front door. "We shouldn't be too much longer. Sandingomm is having Unice clear the table and wash the dishes. I am going to be preparing the staves and my and my mate's haversacks. We will see you again at the Abbey."

Kellen shook the wildcat's much larger paw.

"Hopefully, the coyote tribe will agree to come back with us. See you soon an' safe travels to you an' yore family. I think your young'uns will enjoy their time with the Guosim."

Marisol hoped so too as she and her Guosim friend set off for her tribe's village.

* * *

Genevieve sat silently next to a freshly covered grave in the Abbey graveyard. The freshly turned earth was partially covered with a variety of vibrantly colored flowers from the Abbey gardens.

Her red rimmed eyes stared unblinkingly at the small gravestone. Gingivere, it read. Brave, beloved son and brother.

The wildcat had been sitting like that since the funeral, unable to speak or stand, unable to feel anything except the empty hole that felt like it was growing inside her, threatening to swallow her whole. She didn't even flinch or look up when a large paw settled onto her shoulder.

"Can I sit?" came a warm voice. It was Bella's.

Gen nodded once. It was all she could manage. The old badger sat down next to the wildcat. She remained silent for a few moments, just looking at the gravestone thoughtfully.

"Martin said you were still out here," Bella said. "He's worried about you. He's not going to show it, but he cares a lot for you already. It's just how he is, guarded. He does care deeply for this friends and the Abbey."

Genevieve gave a nod and Bella fell silent.

"I couldn't say a word," came Gen's voice, tiny and threadbare.

Bella turned to look at the wildcat.

"At his funeral," Gen continued, barely above a whisper. "You wanted me to speak about him, but I couldn't."

Bella took Gen's paw in her own and gave it a squeeze.

"It's alright, Genevieve. I shouldn't have asked that of you."

"I feel guilt now, for not being able to speak about him. No one here knew him well. Now he's just a marker in the ground. That is all Redwall will know of him…because I couldn't speak."

"There will be many more times to share your brother with us," Bella said, squeezing the cat's paw again. "But, we know the most important things about him. He was brave and kind and loved dearly by his sister."

"It never shoulda happened," Gen croaked, tears running down her cheeks. "I shoulda been there to help him."

"You can't change the past, dear," Bella said. "You can only move forward."

"I'll make that wolf pay for what he's done! He won't escape again!"

"I understand what you are going through, Gen," Bella said. "I've seen many beasts who I've cared for die needlessly, including my own mate and son. But, you need to be careful about matters of revenge. You could end up in a grave right next to your brother. I know he wouldn't want that."

Gen took a deep breath.

"I know you are right, Bella. It's so hard though."

The badger squeezed her paw.

"I know, dear, I know."

"I was just thinking, how can I tell my parents and my siblings? They sent us here to learn from Martin and you all. I-I don't know what to tell them."

"It won't be easy, but I'll be here to help you, we all will be here to help you, OK? Just tell them what happened, how brave Gin was. They won't blame you, if that is what you are afraid of. You won't be able to make it easier for them to take, but you can be there for them to help them grieve."

Gen nodded and sniffled.

"I'm going to see if Martin is up to training a little. Maybe it will help me re-center myself and stay calm. I know it will help me prepare for the coming battles."

Genevieve left Bella sitting beside her brother's grave in search of Martin. The old warrior was in Cavern Hole discussing medical care strategies with Abbess Hilda. Both mice looked at Gen with expressions of concern. Hilda stood and clasped the wildcat's paw as she approached the pair.

"Dear, I don't need to ask how you are doing," the Abbess said softly. "The look on your face says it all. Please, sit with us."

Genevieve did so, even though she was itching to do some training. She accepted the cup of hot mint tea Martin handed her and sipped at it. The warmth of the drink soothed her stomach. She hadn't been able to keep down food all morning.

"You should rest," the Abbess said. "Eat and drink and regain your strength. Your wounds need time to heal."

"I need to keep busy right now," Gen said in a tone she hoped wasn't rude. "I came to ask Martin if we could do a little training. Also, I wanted to talk to him about something."

"Well, I'm always available to talk." Martin said. "But I agree with Abbess Hilda, you need to rest."

"I can't rest, not now. Please Martin, it doesn't have to be anything difficult."

"Very well," the mouse sighed. "Follow me."

Genevieve finished her tea in two large gulps and jogged after the warriormouse. He led her to a secluded part of the orchard where they wouldn't be disturbed. He handed her a wooden staff and had her go through several defense stances before he spoke of something other than fighting techniques.

"Keep moving through those stances as we speak, do not stop. In Cavern Hole, you said you wanted to ask me something."

"Something happened to me last night, other than losing my brother. I feel confused about it. I don't really know how to describe it."

Martin nodded. He had suspected that she would want to talk about the Bloodwrath.

"What you have is an affliction called the Bloodwrath."

"The Bloodwrath? It didn't feel like an affliction. I felt strong and powerful, but at the same time, I felt like I wasn't really there. I was somewhere else and another beast was controlling my body. I couldn't stop and didn't really want to stop."

"Believe me, it is an affliction. Many warriors, vermin and goodbeasts alike, are struck with the Bloodwrath. The most famous for it are the badgers. Bella's father, Lord Boar of Salamandastron had it. It made him fight until it took his life. Beasts consumed with the Bloodwrath will fight until they can fight no more. They will strike out at friend and foe alike. They can no longer tell the difference."

"Did I strike out at any of my friends here?"

"Luckily, you did not…This time."

Gen fell silent for a few moments, still practicing her defensive stances.

"But it could happen?"

"Yes, the Bloodwrath is something that will be with you forever."

"This is something you know well I take it."

"Indeed, I also have the Bloodwrath," Martin said. "I haven't experienced it's affects in many, many seasons."

"How do you control it?"

"It starts with simple anger, that is where you need to stop it. Let go of the anger, focus instead on protecting the Abbey. I know you want revenge on that wolf. I understand what loss is like. I understand what it feels like to want to pay a beast back for some evil deed they visited on you, but you can't do that. Focus on defending the Abbey, focus on the sacrifice your brother made in defense of the Abbey. Would he want you to take revenge?"

Genevieve thought for a moment.

"No, he'd want me to take a better, more honorable path. He was a kind and peaceful beast, just like our father."

"That is true. Your father is a goodbeast."

"I have always been the black sheep of the family. More headstrong and fierce than the rest. I'm not going to get revenge, but I will bring my brother's murderer to justice and defend this Abbey with my entire being. Gingivere will have not died in vain."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it," Martin said nodding. "Now, let's try some parries."

* * *

It was only a short walk along the River Moss to the coyote village from the wildcat's farmhouse. Marisol had instructed Kellen to follow her lead. Coyotes were very suspicious of newcomers. Mari didn't think there would be trouble since the coyotes had traded with the Guosim in the past.

Marisol could smell the two coyotes who were following them along the bank. She let them think she didn't know they were there for some time before making her move. Inconspicuously, she signaled Kellen to continue forward along the path while she jumped up onto a low hanging tree branch. Running at top speed back the way they had come and then springing out to the north from the tree, she practically flew into a clump of tall grasses.

There was a grunt when she hit the ground and a sound of a scuffle. Kellen drew his short rapier and approached the grass. He had just enough time to duck down as a small mottled grey and tan male coyote was thrown out of the grass, just barely missing his head. He landed with a grunt on the river bank. The grass continued to rustle as Marisol emerged from it, dragging an even smaller female pure tan coyote by an ear. She was clutching at her ear and protesting loudly.

"Mari, I am sorry, I didn't realize it was you!" she cried.

"Tierra, if I was close enough to smell yours and Rico's stench, then you could see that it was me. I could smell you both distinctly. What are you two up to?"

Marisol let go of the younger coyote's ear and the male coyote joined her.

"We are on lookout," Rico said, looking sheepish and kicking the sand with his footpaws.

"I know your father has taught you better. You know you need to mask your scents."

"We know," they said in unison.

"Alright then, you can announce our arrival to the tribe. My friend and I have something very important to discuss with all of them."

"Yes, Marisol," Rico said.

"Who is your friend, so we can announce him?" Tierra asked.

"Just tell them it is an ambassador from the Guosim tribe."

The two coyotes rushed off farther down the bank. Marisol sighed and shook her head as she watched them round a bend in the river.

"The village is just around the bend," she said to the shrew. "Those two are my cousins, Tawni and Jonah. They are my mother's younger brother's offspring."

"You said your grandfather is the chieftain, correct?" Kellen asked.

"He is."

"Who is next in line for chieftain? Or is it an earned or elected position?"

"It is hereditary in most cases, but if there is no one in a line to take up the position, the tribe's elders will elect a new line. My grandfather's mother was chieftain before him and she was elected."

"Who's next in line for being the chieftain?"

"Either me or my twin brother. We are the oldest in the family."

"You didn't mention you had a twin."

"Yeah, well we don't really…"

"Marisol!"

"Mother!"

An older version of Marisol ran towards them. The pair had rounded in the bend in the river and could see the brightly decorated adobe buildings of the village just a little further up the river. They could see a crowd of coyotes emerging from those buildings and heading their way, making haunting howls and yipping sounds in excitement.

Marisol's mother reached her daughter and enveloped her in a tight hug. The young coyote's eyes appeared to bulge from her head.

"Mother…" Mari croaked. "I can't breathe…"

The female let go and took a step back from her daughter, her white tipped paws still on Mari's shoulders. Her mother was an astonishingly beautiful coyote; her fur was mottled grey and tan, like her daughter, starting at mid-forearm, white fur came into play and stretched to the ends of her paws. Striking amber eyes peered out at her daughter.

"I was so worried, Marisol," she said. "When I saw you being swept down the river, I thought you were lost to me. We sent trackers to follow the river to look for you. They haven't returned yet, but they should be back soon, since they won't find you, you found us."

She turned from her daughter to Kellen.

"Tierra and Rico were shouting something about a gosling being with you, I suppose they actually meant, Guosim."

"Mother, this is Kellen of the Guosim. He is the son of Log a Log Bogan. Kellen, this is my mother, Reya."

Reya shook Kellen's paw. By this time, dozens of other coyotes had joined them. Among them was an elderly male carrying an ornately decorated staff and wearing a beaded headband.

"Ah, Marisol, I am glad you are safe," he said.

Marisol hugged him and then turned back to Kellen.

"Grandfather and everyone, this is Kellen of the Guosim. He is the son of Log a Log. We have something very important that we need to discuss with the whole tribe."

Marisol's grandfather stepped to the side and motioned to the village.

"Then let's go to the village and discuss it."

The large group hurried back to the village square and sat on rocks, chairs and baskets or stood. There were grey, tan and white coyotes of all ages and sizes surrounding Marisol and Kellen. As the tribe got situated and a large chair was brought out for Marisol's chieftain grandfather, the female coyote pointed out several members of her family.

"My grandfather's name is Saul, as you know. That elderly female next to him is my grandmother, Consuela. They are my mother's parents. That is my mother there with my younger sisters Eva and Consuela. My twin brother is over there in the back, the one with the spear. His name is Pedro, after my father. I don't see my father…Anyway, there's my mother's brother, Saul Junior and his mate, Tasia and you've met their young, Tierra and Rico. My mom had a younger sister too, but she died when she was a pup of the plague that was ravaging the south lands at the time. Her name was Sofia. Next to my mother now is my aunt Cassandra, my father's brother's wife…she has three sons, Armando, Hernan and Kiro."

"You have a good sized family," Kellen said.

"I just wonder where my father and his brother is."

"Pedro and Julio were sent to look for you," said a female coyote who had overheard Marisol.

"Thank you."

The pair had agreed that Marisol would do most of the talking. She waited until everyone was settled before she started.

"I suppose it's best I start on the night of the storm, because that's where everything started for me."

The coyote described the events leading up to her return to the village, much as she had to the wildcat family.

"The Abbess and her advisors at Redwall all agree that it would be safest to head to the Abbey while the lizards and the rat horde are about. Everyone would be welcome there and we could unite with the Redwallers and the Guosim to drive the rats out of Mossflower."

Marisol stopped speaking and the tribe looked to one another.

"Rats? How many are we talking about?" somebeast called out.

"I've heard of these lizards, the horny toads, they followed us from the south lands."

"An orange and black lizard? My grandmother used to tell tales of those monsters."

"Live with mice? Could that be done?"

"They would just think we are foxes, like they always do!"

Saul approached his granddaughter, putting a paw on her shoulder. He smiled at her. Around them, coyotes continued to discuss the possible threat to their tribe.

"You are a brave and resourceful, my grandchild," he said. "Thank you for travelling all this way to warn us and offer us protection. I know everyone here is grateful."

"There's a 'but' here isn't there?"

"Yes, I am concerned of whether the mice will actually accept us into their Abbey. Do you know their history?"

"Not much. I know they originally came from the south lands like we did, grandfather."

"They shunned us back then. I know you know nothing of our lives in the south lands. Your mother, uncle and long dead aunt Sofia were among the last to be born there. At the time, there was a great plague sweeping the land. It struck the Loamhedge mice as it did us. We went to the mice for help, we were desperate. There was so much death around us! They wouldn't help us, as they wouldn't help the so called vermin in the land."

"But, they were kind to me. The Abbess promised that they would give our tribe shelter! Maybe they have learned from their mistakes. You have spoken of the plague many times. Maybe they couldn't help you because they couldn't help themselves."

"That may be, but they viewed us as being vermin long before the plague started. I do not believe that they would be accepting of us now."

"So, you are going to just say no to the offer of shelter?" Marisol said.

"For myself, yes. I will leave it up to each individual whether or not they go with you to Redwall."

The old coyote turned to the tribe.

"Everyone, you have heard Marisol's words. You have had a chance to discuss how you want to proceed. I will leave it up to all of you individually if you want to accompany Marisol and Kellen of the Guosim to the Abbey or remain here at the village."

Saul walked over to his chair and sat down.

"All those who wish to go seek shelter at Redwall please go stand with Marisol. Those who wish to stay here, stand by me."

Marisol was slightly relieved that most of the tribe, including many of their most talented warriors, came to stand next to her. All of her family came to stand with her, with the exception of Saul, her grandmother and her brother Pedro.

"I shall stay here to guard the village," Pedro proclaimed.

Saul patted his paw.

"That's a good coyote," he said, then he turned to Marisol and her group. "I respect each of your decisions and I wish you a safe journey through Mossflower Woods. We will feast tonight and you will set out first thing in the morning."


End file.
